


Jojo's Bizarre Fairy Tale: Stardust Soldiers of Fortune

by Auragongal



Category: Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe versions of some JJBA characters, Mystery, Original world setting based on Fairy Tales, Other, Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault mentioned at the beginning, Warning: Bad Relationship Aftermath and Stalking by Ex, post-stardust crusaders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2018-10-22 04:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 241,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10690155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auragongal/pseuds/Auragongal
Summary: After the defeat of Dio Brando by Jotaro Kujo, the hero of Stardust Crusaders and his grandfather Joseph are about to return to Japan when a kidnapping by a familiar figure causes them to head into another world based on Fairy Tales.And these two thought Vampires and Stands were the most bizarre thing they'd encounter!However, there are mysteries to this new world- Just who is Veronica Zeppeli, and why was she kidnapped? Why is there a faerie that looks a lot like the late Kakyoin? Is this world for real, or just a very, very elaborate ruse created by an enemy stand? Just what exactly is the villain of this story even up to!?Most importantly however... will our two Jojos be able to return home safely?Read and find out!Crossposted from Spacebattles, comments and critique definitely welcome!





	1. Prologue: Life is a Grimm Tale Sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two worlds, and the series of events that led to their eventual interaction...

_ An unknown amount of time ago, on another world... _

The Prisoner with wild, white hair and black clothes grunted in pain as the giant, rune covered and seemingly stone bodied and ugly giant known as a Spriggan forced him to the ground. The Prisoner's hands and neck were bound by shackles, while the bailiff of this makeshift court within a forest clearing held tightly onto the chain that connected them. To add injury to this insult of a trial, the Prisoner could also feel his manhood kicked repeatedly by the thorn covered boot of a rather foul-mouthed fairy. He assumed his assailant probably came from a brier as he ignored the tiny attacker and instead focused on the Four Judges seated infront of him, while the fifth spot on the bench remained empty as their bastard of a leader was most likely running late for some stupid reason.

To the far left, was a large man in a kilt that had a dark body that seemed to be made of Obsidian and hair that happened to be literal flames. While the Prisoner didn't know what kind of fae Aedan Peadar was, he did, however, know that Aedan was not only frightening in appearance to the prisoner, but personal experience had led him to know that this judge had frightening power as well. After all, The Prisoner was quite lucky to survive the attack Aedan had performed with just a step, while the rest of his army was decimated during the recent war. Of course, as the glaring prisoner in black saw Aedan glare right back at him, he quickly moved his gaze to the smiling man next to him.

The second judge, Rio, was handsome enough with his shaggy brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and nice clothes, but the prisoner knew full well that under the large hat he wore, that Rio was hiding a blow hole. As the second judge was, in reality, an "Encantado" or a pink river dolphin that could shapeshift into a man and had a habit of kidnapping people to bed with in his underwater domain, or worse, turn them into more Encantado. While Rio normally went after women, even the Prisoner on trial this day considered the vile fae to be a worse criminal than himself. After all, while he was being tried and punished for trying to undo the work these judges did to try and "fix Fae Society for the better," he at least never tried to force himself onto a woman in mind and body like Rio would have. Not to mention that in the Prisoner's mind, the blasted dolphin had the worst temper of the lot, considering that anyone who rejected him would be enchanted into joining him anyway, while those that tried to protect a poor woman from him would be cursed with insanity, illness or even death!

Why Rio Golfinho was made a judge for this trial was something the Prisoner did not wish to think about, though the way the dolphin leered at the female faeries that were gathered in the clearing as part of the gallery made him pray that the monster would get his just desserts.

Deciding to move on before his rage made him want to strangle the perverted bastard, the Prisoner then looked towards the third judge that was seated- a pink haired male fae in red clothes and a crown of white roses, while his back bore butterfly wings that seemed ethereal as they were translucent closer to where they joined at the shoulder only to become as clear as glass along their length. The floral faerie's kind green eyes and expression made him look rather attractive, though the Prisoner simply flinched at that thought and immediately assumed that it was mostly for women. After all, a man like himself had no business being attracted to a mere Rose Faerie like Salvador Spectralis Ghostwing.

From what the Prisoner could recall about the fae, it was said that Ghostwing was born from a nobleman's garden, where a rose bush that was the pride and joy of that noble one year produced blooms that were clear as uncolored glass. Of course, early on in Ghostwing's life, he was much, much smaller than the man-sized fae he was now until somehow, he had managed to gain new power. The rumor was that it was because he took vengeance on a murderer, but personally, the Prisoner didn't believe that story. However, as he didn't exactly have time to contemplate what the truth might have been, he just hesitantly turned his glare towards the fourth Judge.

Calina Zavriel, a lovely woman with long black hair, a blue sari over a white gown, pale green wings resembling those of a luna moth, and finally eyes as blue as a clear sky on a sunny day. She was once a faerie godmother under the old empire, and once, the Prisoner had been in love with her. However, with the loss of her rank upon the discovery of her preference for sleeping with monsters, and the children she bore them, he was not just heartbroken, but he didn't even believe it until he saw her five children. The eldest was the son of a wind demon, Calina's second born was the daughter of some sort of spider-monster from the Usaginaba Isles known as a "Su-Chee-Goo-Mo" from what he had been told. Though he had also seen the two younger children were twins fathered by a Leviathan of all things, at the moment only Calina's third child was present for the trial- a red haired boy with golden eyes, claws like a lion, leathery wings and the tail of a scorpion. As the Manticore-sired middle son was standing by the bench to be close to his mother rather than sit in the gallery, the Prisoner didn't even need to think too long on what the glare he gained from the child was even about.

Suddenly, he was forced to rise to his feet by the Spriggan Bailiff, as the final judge had finally arrived- a man with long, white hair hanging freely, leather boots on his feet, long pointed ears and a rather casual looking outfit consisting of a plain violet shirt with brown pants. Of course, as those icy blue eyes of the leader of this new fae society locked with the Prisoner's own mismatched pair in green and brown, he knew full well who this late arrival was and his hatred seethed as he growled.

"Puck, you blasted traitor." the Prisoner then said to the white haired fae lazily resting his boots on top of the bench while leaning back in his chair and also getting the Judge's attention, "Why did you destroy our unified empire and send our people into chaos!?"

"Unified my _ass."_ Puck said bluntly as he rolled his eyes, "Bowie, honestly. The Blue Faerie Empire was hell for the Fae. Only Godmothers could interact with humans and had to play nice to keep their power and rank. The rest of us? We had to hide in the shadows and were forced to be weak and unable to fight back while that _blue hag_ kept most of the power for herself while only spreading a fraction of it among her Godmothers. She had forced us into a situation where things had to go a certain way or else in her mind one's 'story' would not end happily. This, combined with the propaganda that tyrant spread about 'only Godmothers may use magic on humans,' or 'Changelings are only used by traitors to the empire to cause trouble,' that 'mischief was frowned upon for a proper fae' and worst of all, that 'No fae can naturally gain power outside their rank, as it is impossible in the first place since magic can only be given or stolen' forced so many restrictions upon us as a fun loving race, that we were frightened to fight alongside the rebels that cropped up!"

As Puck stood and continued his speech, the other fae present listened intently while the prisoner, Bowie, merely glared at the man taking center stage.

"But we know now that the Blue Faerie's word was false, that her idea of a 'natural order' was not our way at all! We aren't an orderly empire of boring, strict, black and white views of rules, ranks, and regulations! We are tricksters, thieves, mischief makers, travelers, givers of blessings and curses, fun loving and most importantly, rather chromatic in my opinion." Puck then finished as all but Bowie himself cheered for the bowing, wingless fae who just hovered off the ground. Of course, watching Puck return to his seat and replacing his boots onto the bench with a smile, Bowie said nothing in response as he just heard the main judge add, "Now, with that out of the way let's get on with the trial, shall we? In fact, Aedan? Why don't you remind us all of why we're gathered here today?"

With that said, Aedan nodded as he rose from his seat, and held out a scroll to read from as his deep, intimidating voice rang out in a cold, emotionless tone that contrasted harshly with his fiery appearance.

"We are gathered here today, to judge the goblin who calls himself the Dark King, Bowie. Former general of the Blue Faerie Empire, an ascended fae like Puck and Salvador Spectralis Ghostwing themselves and a self-proclaimed king among the loyalists of the late Blue Faerie Empress." Aedan stated, "He is charged with the crimes of kidnapping Ethereas Ghostwing and Marduk Zavriel, attempted murder of the Storykeeper- who is unable to make it due to recovering from the iron burns given to her, and finally attempting to recreate the very empire destroyed seven months ago. Bowie, how do you plea?"

All eyes turned to Bowie then, the black king apparently stunned for a moment, before he spoke in anger. "I admit, I did order the kidnappings and I am guilty of trying to recreate the empire, but I _never_ went after the Storykeeper. I don't even know who she is, or where she is even located. I may be a criminal immune to iron's burning touch to our kind, but I am not a murderer, unlike that perverted, sick bastard of a dolphin allowed to join you as a Judge this day."

"HEY!" Rio then shouted as he went into a series of squeaks and clicks common to his true form, while the other four judges simply exchanged annoyed looks about their comrade, apparently not having been none too happy to have him there at all.

"Well, if it counts as some consolation, Rio will be on trial tomorrow for the crap he's pulled, and in fact, is going to be kicked out for contempt of court." Puck said after signaling to Aedan to pick the dolphin up by the collar of his shirt, and punt him into a glass tank Puck had conjured up at the other side of the clearing. As a sign with the words "Time-Out Corner" appeared in front of the tank as well as a shield to keep Rio from escaping while forced into his true form of a pink dolphin, the remaining judges then whispered amongst themselves regarding Bowie's claim of innocence for one of his crimes.

"Well." Puck then said once the conference was complete, "Since Calina knows you best, we will take your plea of innocence for the attempted murder, and hold an investigation later. However, as you have pleaded guilty for the other two crimes that you are accused of... you will still be punished after you answer one question."

"And what would that be?" Bowie said, only to look on in confusion as the manticore-blooded son of Calina walked up to him, his claws clenched into fists and his tail ready to strike as it dripped poison from the tip.

"What did you do with Ethereas and my big brother?" the 10 year old boy then asked with such a cold voice for his age that Bowie actually shivered a bit. Then again, it could have also been the fact the boy was a half-monster freak of nature that did that- especially as the child's golden eyes turned into a glowing bluish-gray for a moment.

"Salvador's younger brother I sent away after he was brought to me. Where he ended up I don't know or care." Bowie said calmly as he collected himself, "As for Marduk Zavriel, I don't know what happened to him, as the people I sent to capture that half-breed never returned. I had assumed he escaped in all honesty, though if he hasn't returned to his mother, then if he is still alive he's bound to be around Fanterra somewhere."

Unfortunately, that wasn't a good answer for the young fae, as before Bowie knew it, the brat's stinger had gotten him right in the eye. Thankfully, it was pulled out by Aedan but, a bit of venom still made it into the prisoner's body, weakening him rather quickly as he heard voices while his vision blurred.

_"Marik, what were you thinking!?"_

_"I wanted the truth mother! I... I don't believe that he doesn't know where they are!"_

_"Calina, settle things with your boy later, we need you to help pass Bowie's sentence, now!"_

_"R-Right!"_

_"Bowie, we will not let you suffer death- however, we will curse you with a form of stone until a black rose blooms upon the bush that Salvador was born from, and that rose mixed into a potion made from the blood of a wolf blessed by the wind itself. If that potion is poured upon your body, upon a night where the moon is as black as the clothes on your back, then and only then, shall you be released!"_

**********

__  
Earth, 1971: Midsummer.  


The nurses were all confused within the hospital, word spreading how a newborn baby boy had suddenly become very ill and had to be isolated to avoid that illness from spreading to the other newborns in the ward. However, the story seemed to get rather strange as when it seemed the child was about to die, the power suddenly went out, only to return moments later and the baby perfectly fine. No one knew if it was a lucky break, an act of god or something else, but the miraculous recovery wasn't the end of the strangeness. In fact, there seemed to be moments when some nurses checking on the baby would feel like they were being watched, or feel like they've walked through a spider web. Not to mention that during the time between the boy's birth and the day his parents were allowed to take him home, there'd be moments where doctors trying to examine him would have the electronic equipment suddenly stop working one moment before working fine the next, or feel like they were pelted with something when the baby cried until his mother or another nurse could come along to calm him down.

In fact, once the so called 'demon baby' was gone, the staff were very relieved, though no one knew what exactly it was that caused all that weirdness, and personally hoped that whatever was going on, wouldn't end up killing the baby Noriaki Kakyoin.

**********

__  
Fanterra, one week and 3 days ago, 1247 P.B.F.E. (Post-Blue Faerie Empire)  


Richard Remus Lupo woke up around midnight, growling and feeling on edge as he smelled two things in the air- Blood and an unknown woman. Hopping out of bed in just his night-shorts, the elf-eared, golden eyed, silver haired and wolf tailed man ran through his home, heading straight to the master bedroom as he followed the scent, and also felt his fear growing.

"No, no, no..." the wolf chanted to himself as he grew closer and reached the door, "Please, don't tell me they broke the code... not to Allu. Not the night before his weddin!"

As he opened the door however, he could see the remains of his elder twin, blood on the walls and bed, the face he saw gagged being almost the same as his own if it weren't for the large brown spot over his right eye, and worst of all, the other wolf had been cut open and stuffed with stones. In shock, Ricky Lupo stepped forward into the crime scene, looking around in silence as he spotted something on the ground by the bed and picked it up.

A silver ring with a glowing, pale blue stone was what he found, untouched by the blood, and most likely left behind due to the murderer being unable to pick it up thanks to the magic that only let certain individuals even hold it. As he watched it morph into a pin in his own hand however, Ricky Lupo growled in anger as he clutched the heirloom tightly, before spotting a bright red scrap of cloth on the window frame, that was caught on a nail that had been halfway hammered in to help find intruders later if they escaped. Picking the scrap up and smelling the unfamiliar woman coming from it, Ricky Lupo glared out the window as he returned it to where it was found, and turned back to face his late brother.

"ALLUUU!" Ricky then howled loudly enough to wake up the whole manor he called home, and letting everyone inside know that a tragedy had occurred. When the rest of the household arrived, and saw the scene and the heartbroken brother of their leader, they all knew what needed to be done and so the other wolves like Ricky joined in his mourning and howled, while the more human looking members started getting ready to contact the city watch to try and investigate the murder, while also tending to the passed out bride-to-never-be on the hallway floor.

**********

__  
Earth, January 10th, 1989  


Joseph Joestar woke up with a start in his hotel room, his body sweating heavily while his mind reeled a bit from the nightmare he had just a moment before.

~0~

In it, he had seen his late friend Caesar Zeppeli standing in front of an old tower surrounded by thorns. Following after his old friend though, had caused Joseph to find himself in a city that looked similar to Venice, though the locals were dressed in costumes and masks while preparing to begin some sort of festival. Of course, while he also saw someone who looked like his late mother and mentor in the ways of the Ripple, Lisa Lisa, announce the festival ready to begin, Joseph wasn't able to join in the fun as he felt Caesar grab his shoulder from behind before turning the old man to face him as he shook his head in silence- almost as if the festival wasn't why the two were there. Then, Caesar dragged the old man towards a gondola, and with inhuman strength managed to sit Joseph down in the boat before grabbing an oar and steered the boat down through the canals of the city.

"Caesar?" Joseph had said as he turned to look at his friend, "Where are you taking me? Just where are we?"

His friend however said nothing and simply smiled as he looked down at the seated old man, before looking ahead as he continued to pilot the boat down the canal. While they traveled in silence, Joseph would see people in red cloaks battle against a very large pack of wolves on a bridge between the two sides, a gale coming up as the largest of the wolves howled towards the humans in red. Though the strong winds didn't seem to bother the gondola, Joseph would still stand up to try and help the people in red, only for Caesar to stop him and force him back down into his seat, shaking his head once again.

"You want me to just stand by while people are in trouble!?" Joseph had snapped, only for Caesar to stop the boat and point towards the battle now behind them, causing Joseph to see that the people in Red were slaughtering the wolves, while the giant wolf leading them was only protecting his pack. Apparently the people he thought were in trouble, were actually causing it instead. Unfortunately, before Joseph could comment and make an apology, he felt the boat suddenly rise as it began to come out of the water and actually fly through the air itself, rising above the city as Caesar kept it moving like it was still on the canal, and acting rather calmly at the strangeness. 

Looking over the side of the gondola, Joseph would notice that the city seemed to be mapped out quite differently than the Venice he had been to in the waking world, with canals forming twelve interconnected rings with a castle in the very center. Of course, before the old man could ask just what was going on, the view would change as he and Caesar flew over the land below, the young man still remaining silent as Joseph kept watching various scenes play out on the ground below.

First, he saw Polnareff losing both of his legs to a red King chess piece that had come alive and gained two faces- one of a boy the other a man. Though his friend lived, the Frenchman would be picked up by a large turtle and carried back to town after the two-faced king left.

Second, Joseph watched Avdol fight some sort of monster in a cavern, only to be grabbed from below by another monster and dragged down into an abyss. The only thing that was left behind were the man's arms, and a red feather.

Third, he saw what looked like Iggy encountering a huge, hairy black beast with fiery red eyes and its body surrounded by floating blue will-o-wisps and heavy iron chains. Though the two were in a town, all the windows were boarded up and the doors locked, while a feeling of terror went down Joseph's spine as he saw the two glare at each other in silence. He could see Iggy had been fighting for a while, and though on his last legs seemed determined to protect something wrapped up in cloth from this giant monster. The monster however, only looked at the bundle Iggy was protecting before it decided to leave it alone as one of the chains on its body shot out at the small dog and grabbed Iggy's neck. As the dog was lifted up in the air, Iggy would die for a moment, before it's body would shudder and painfully shift as Iggy fell to the ground, the chain it had on its neck breaking off the monster before merging with its captive. As Joseph saw Iggy's body grow in size before the dog's blue eyes began glowing a bright blue, he felt rather uneasy seeing the little pain in the ass with a strong will become a tamed follower of the larger beast as the two ran off together howling in the night as they brought justice to a murderer, and forced his soul to travel with the now demonic Iggy as a new blue flame hovered near the mutated dog.

Fourth, he saw Jotaro chained onto an altar at the top of a mountain, a wicked priest taking his grandson's soul out of his body before the young man's skull broke apart to reveal some sort of creature with a head shaped like a crescent moon. Then, a young woman and a man she was with appeared too late, and angrily attacked both of them only to be killed as well. Joseph, worried then saw the creature and the priest ascended to the heavens and nearly attack the flying gondola, had a young boy not appeared out of nowhere and saved both Joseph and Caesar with the ghosts of the dead at the child's aid.

Finally, the gondola would descend towards a desert cave and go through the entrance as Joseph saw the glowing crystals around him show things such as innocent people turning to stone, the deaths he had witnessed on both his own adventure against the Pillarmen and his adventure with his grandson so far, the lies he had to tell his grandmother so she wouldn't worry about him and unfortunately the moment of weakness he had years ago when a business trip to Morioh led to him to cheat on his wife with another woman. Once he and Caesar reached a large chamber, the gondola would finally stop and land on the ground gently and Joseph would see his friend step off the boat and silently signal that the old man follow him. Stepping out of the gondola and doing so, Joseph would notice that Caesar would seem a little different as they walked towards the other side of the chamber, but couldn't exactly figure out what it was until he saw what Caesar had wanted him to see.

A glass coffin containing his daughter, her body consumed by the deadly vines of her stand as she seemed to have died. 

"No..." Joseph had said, feeling the tears roll down his cheeks as he then saw a new one appear holding a four year old boy with a diamond shaped like a cracked heart fused into his chest. "NO!" 

Pounding his metal fist on the stone floor as he fell to his knees, Joseph felt himself grow older then and there as he looked towards Caesar, only to freeze where he was as he saw his friend had turned into a disfigured corpse when he wasn't looking.

 _"You... failed them..."_ Caesar said, his voice coming out wrong as he pointed a finger towards Joseph, _"Your daughter... your secret child... you were too slow. Just as you were too slow to stop... me..."_

"I... I still have time!" Joseph protested, his body deaging as he stood up and glared at the monster before him, "Even if it kills me, Jotaro, Kakyoin, myself and the others will save them before it's too late!"

Joseph's body within the dream had now become the one he had in his youth after the battle with Kars, and as he watched the corpse with such a ferocious intensity, he flinched when he saw it smirk and begin to morph into first Caesar as a human man, before his friend changed further into a human looking yet still somehow alien version of his friend, the marks on Caesar's cheeks actually spreading and turning into runes as Caesar's fingers became clawed and he began hovering off the ground. As a horned mask appeared to cover the top half of his face however, Joseph honestly became frightened as he wondered just who or what this was that had been pretending to be his lost friend.

"I see." the figure then said quietly, before giving a worried frown towards Joseph, "Please be careful in the future Mister Joestar. Otherwise, it may be you who ends up in a coffin after all."

The last thing Joseph would feel before waking up, was something stabbing his chest and squeezing his heart.

~0~

Shaking his head of the thoughts about his nightmare, the old man would turn on his side to look at the clock next to his bed. Seeing that it was 2:30 AM, Joseph Joestar wondered just what that dream was caused by. Stress from what was at stake if they failed? Guilt leftover from the death of Caesar Zepelli as well as guilt over his affair? What the hell did the wolves and people in red represent in his psyche, along with the other things he saw in his nightmare?

 _"Now's not the time to be psychoanalyzing myself."_ Joseph then thought to himself, _"I can go see a shrink after we've dealt with Dio and saved Holy... and Josuke."_

**********

__  
Fanterra, one week ago, 1247 P.B.F.E.  


The time had come. The woman in a slightly tattered red cloak looked up at the night sky while she held two bottles in hand, one a clear flask filled with a thick, red liquid mixed with black rose petals while the other was a clay bottle that had the image of a manticore crossed through with a line on the side. 

Watching as the full moon overhead started to be eclipsed in shadow, she thought about the fact that ever since she first read about the figure before her while studying magic in Spherean, she had felt an odd compulsion to free him from his stony fate. She didn't know what caused it or why, and right now she didn't care. All she did know was that tonight was the night to perform the ritual, and thanks to that perverted dolphin faerie she had hunted down, bound to her will and interrogated thoroughly before ending the creep's life, she knew how to do so. She had to search for months, finding the exact rosebush that had spawned the fae known as Salvador Spectralis Ghostwing before using magic to make it bloom the rose she needed for the potion. While she was a bit surprised the plant still existed after over a millenium since the curse upon the Dark King Bowie had been cast, she just chalked it up to luck or maybe even destiny on her part, before going back to her home city of Bella Aquae to get the wolf blood. 

Sure, she had to murder the current leader of the Lupo Family to do so, but in her mind, she was also doing her own family a service by committing the deed before the blasted wolf could breed. Had she not been in a hurry, she'd have slaughtered every wolf she could on her own, but sadly, her efforts had caused her to be disowned. So what if she went against the Code of Conduct for the Blood Feud? The Reds shouldn't show mercy and hold back while their enemies got to have the chance to marry and have children like normal humans, they should have slaughtered all those wolves no matter what. After all, they were simply beasts in the end, even if they seemed to be mostly human.

The woman then drew her self out of her thoughts of disgust against the people who abandoned her for trying to make sure the feud ended in their favor, as now the moon was fully eclipsed. As she cast a quick spell to let her see even in this pitch black darkness, she smiled as she opened the bottle with the rose and blood potion with her teeth, spat out the cork and took a moment to decide how to apply it. Remembering that she didn't have long though, she then simply dumped the contents of the first bottle on top of the statue, before taking a step back and kneeling before it as she spoke.

"It is time for you to awaken, my master."

As the eclipse overhead began to end however, the woman watched in horror as at first, the potion didn't seem to work. However, as more light shone down from above, her fear turned into relief as she smiled while cracks began to form upon the stone, before just falling away to reveal the man underneath it. 

"-GAH! Fucking hell that hurts! Stupid freakshow of a brat!" Bowie then said as he fell to his knees, unaware that he had been released from his prison as he cursed and held a hand over his eye in pain. Of course, as he then felt something be forced into his mouth and some kind of liquid go down his throat, he soon used his free arm to strike at whoever was doing this to him while he pulled himself away.

Of course, as he realized he could actually move his arms again, he stopped and looked around, his right eye forced shut as he saw an unfamiliar woman in a red cloak on the ground, and while he couldn't quite see her face, seeing the bottle she held in hand did help him figure out what happened. A tiny bit anyway.

"Okay." Bowie then said as he took a deep breath, "Who are you, How long have I been imprisoned, and what did you just give me?"

"Amelia Red." the woman said with a smile as she stood up, "You've been imprisoned in stone for twelve hundred and forty seven years, and I gave you an antidote to the manticore venom."

"... Thank you." Bowie said as he blushed a bit out of embarrassment, while not quite aware he was covered in blood and rose petals. However, as he immediately collapsed on the ground as hunger and a need to sleep caught up with him, the dark king's new servant simply sighed as she picked the man up in her arms and with the use of magic, teleported them away from the clearing to her safe-haven. After all, he was going to need some time to recover before making any plans of revenge or conquest, as far as she was concerned.

Though, as long as she was able to be by her master's side, she didn't care how long it would take.

**********

__  
Earth, January 17th, 1989  


It was finally over. Their mission to save Holy Kujo, and by extension the world itself from DIO had been accomplished and though the final battle was harsh, it was won in the end. However, it wasn't a perfect victory as the Stardust Crusaders lost half their number, but as the morning sun destroyed the remains of the villain who caused them so much trouble, Joseph Joestar and his grandson, Jotaro Kujo knew that their comrades deaths had not been in vain.

"This is it..." Joseph said as the ashes of both Dio's head and Jonathan Joestar's body scattered in the wind, "Dio has stolen many things, from many people. Everything he had was stolen from others over the course of the last century."

"So many people who will never come back..." Jotaro said, while his grandfather nodded sadly in agreement.

"That's right." Joseph then said, though he did choke a bit as he continued, "Too many... Too many important people... The things we've lost can't be compared to the importance of the Earth... but because of them, we're still alive."

Jotaro just gave a nod in silence, the stone faced teen knowing full well what his grandfather would say next. Mainly because those same thoughts went through his mind as well.

_"Kakyoin! Iggy! Avdol! It's all over..."_

~0~

_"Air France Flight 92 to Paris... Passengers now boarding. Please proceed to gate 18." _The speakers in the airport announced, while Joseph and Jotaro were busy having one last chat with their remaining ally from this adventure, Jean Pierre Polnareff.__

__"So, you're returning to France no matter what?" Joseph said to Polnareff, while Jotaro remained silent, "You have no family there though. Why don't you come back with me to New York?"_ _

__Polnareff took a moment to think about the question, the mulleted young man squatting as he checked his bag one last time, before smiling at his two friends._ _

__"Mr. Joestar, France is still my homeland, even if I don't have anyone there to return to. It doesn't matter where I go, I'll always end up back there." he said, before standing up, "Please, contact me if anything happens. I'll fly there immediately."_ _

__"I'll be lonely." Joseph said, while both Polnareff and Jotaro were silent towards the comment for a moment._ _

__"A lot of terrible things have happened... but I'm happy." the Frenchman then said to break the silence, "It was a great adventure."_ _

__"That's right." Joseph then said in agreement, "I had a fun time, I mean it."_ _

__Polnareff then placed a hand on both Joseph and the still silent Jotaro's shoulders, sharing a grin with Joseph as the old man placed a hand on Polnareff's arm while Jotaro did the same._ _

__"Then I'll be seeing you guys!" he then said before letting go and throwing in a last pair of jabs towards his friends, "Cheap old man! Live long! And his lousy grandson! Don't forget me!"_ _

__"I'll see you later." Joseph then said with a sly grin while he pointed at Polnareff, "Even if you're tired of seeing my face, you forgetful idiot!"_ _

__"I couldn't forget your ugly face even if I wanted to." Jotaro said with a small smile as he finally spoke and also joined in the fun, "Take care..."_ _

__"See ya..." Polnareff then said as he turned to leave, and so after all three dropped the smiles for a more serious look, Jotaro would lower the bill of his cap over his eyes, while Joseph slipped on the headphones of his walkman, and slipped in the tape "Get Back" by The Beatles into it, before they went their separate ways._ _

__For now, their journey had come to an end, and as Jotaro and Joseph waited for the announcement to board their plane, it seemed that they wouldn't have to get into another adventure for a long time.  
_ _

~0~

Elsewhere in the airport, while the farewells between men were going on, three young women had just grabbed their bags after getting off their own flight. While two of them were lovely enough and dressed for the desert sun- among other things, their third companion was rather average looking in comparison, wearing a long, lightweight, black and white checkered scarf around her neck, a plain white, sleeveless, button up blouse and a knee-length blue skirt with white tennis shoes. Tucking some of her silver hair behind her ear, the 19 year old young woman nervously looked around as she pulled her bag along, noticing some people staring at her and most likely wondering how she could look so young with her hair the color it was, while making sure the old, rolling suitcase she dragged along behind her didn't end up hitting her heels.

 _"Why did I let Pat and Bonnie drag me along for this?"_ she thought to herself as she bit her lip, while her short stacked, brown haired friend, Bonnie Taylor got in the girl's vision out of nowhere and causing her to jump to a halt. Especially since it looked like she had her "Go to hell" look going before Veronica even did anything! "Oh, uh... wh-what is it Bonnie?"

"Veronica." Bonnie said, while their other friend Pat Benny just silently stood there looking bored as she crossed her arms, "I just want to remind you that we are on this trip to have _fun and relax._ No looking like you're paranoid about every shadow, no mentioning vampires or whatever the hell you're afraid of, and definitely no freaky crap with water, oil or whatever other stuff you might touch. And for the love of God, Veronica, don't cause another incident like the trip we went on last year to Italy with your folks." 

"B-But that wasn't my fault..." Veronica pleaded weakly as she remembered that while she and her friends- along with her parents and little sister had visited Italy, she ended up being blamed for a freak wave that happened while they were in Venice. While it was really her sister pulling a prank with her own freaky powers, Veronica still got the blame for it due to some past incidents she'd rather not think about. Though, as she saw Bonnie give her a disbelieving look, the 19 year old and oldest of the trio sighed and nodded in defeat. "I'll try... Can we just get to the hotel now? Remember, your dad's paying for the trip this time."

"Good girl." Bonnie said with a smirk as she headed along while carrying her suitcase along with Pat following behind with her own. Of course, as Veronica had to use her dad's old rolling suitcase for the trip, she had to just pull it along by a strap on one end of it, while also praying that nothing went wrong during their stay. In fact, as Veronica followed along, she ended up remembering what exactly caused the feeling of impending doom she had right about now, specifically a dream about a young man in green dying after getting a hole punched into his gut. She didn't see much of the murderer, or the dead man's other features besides what he wore, but it still didn't help her mood that much.

Unfortunately, Veronica would be drawn out of her thoughts as she realized that her friends were saying her name, while her bag just stopped moving on its own. 

"Oh no." she said, getting a very bad feeling about this as she yanked as hard as she could on the stubborn bag and wondering what got it stuck as she felt like she was fighting against someone holding the thing in place. 

"Veronica!" both Bonnie and Pat ended up saying, before heading over to their friend as Bonnie added, "Don't tell me weird crap's happening again already!"

"Looks like you owe me fifty bucks." Pat then said flatly as the suitcase started moving again, and ended up going in the opposite direction of where Veronica was pulling- and also ended up dragging their silver haired friend along with it.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Veronica then shouted as she was dragged along the airport floor by her own suitcase, for some reason being unable to let go despite how badly she wanted to. In fact, it almost felt like something had bound her hands together but wasn't quite sure what it was. Of course, as the suitcase was now moving fast enough that Veronica was actually lifted off the ground while she screamed, the people in the airport decided not to help out but instead just get the hell out of the way as Veronica managed to at least get a chance to look over her runaway bag to see two men in the thing's warpath, before closing her eyes and bracing herself for impact since neither of them seemed to be willing to get out of the way.

~0~

When Jotaro Kujo heard the screams, he immediately looked up before stopping his grandfather to get his attention.

"What is it now?" Joseph said a bit irritably as he turned his walkman off and took looked at his grandson. Of course as the old man then heard the screams as well, he turned to see a young woman with silver hair and a scarf being dragged along by her suitcase while also heading right towards them. Of course, as they also saw a black tendril wrapped around her hands and also dragging the suitcase along, the two immediately realized that it was another Stand User judging by the way no one else in the room seemed to notice the tendril as one or two people even stepped on it before the suitcase went past them. Of course as they both realized that the thing and its owner were headed right towards them, Jotaro simply summoned his own Stand, Star Platinum while Joseph prepared to use Hermit Purple to try and figure out who or what was causing this trouble once he found a camera to break apart for a spirit photo. 

Or would have, if it wasn't for the fact that once Star Platinum managed to stop the suitcase, it also ended up sending the girl flying and hitting the old man hard enough that both of them hit the floor. Though, while the girl did manage to land safely on her rear, the fact that she was sitting on the man's chest was enough to cause Jotaro to look away out of embarrassment and lowered the bill of his cap over his eyes while a few onlookers just shook their heads and tried their best to ignore the situation.

"S-Sorry!" The girl said as she quickly got off of Joseph Joestar and did her best to help him up, "I-I swear, I don't know what happened with my suitcase! All of a sudden it wouldn't move, I tried to drag it by force, and then I ended up getting dragged along as if it came to life! I guess it managed to stop by hitting a bump or something, but er... w-well I hope you're not hurt!"

"Oh it's perfectly fine. Don't worry." Joseph said with a smile as he tried his best to salvage the situation, "Believe me miss, my grandson here and I have dealt with worse. Right Jotaro?"

"...Yeah, whatever." Jotaro said in annoyance once their attention turned to him, before noticing the tag on the suit case, and also noticing the tendrils that were wrapped around it were gone. "Anyway miss... Zeppeli? Here's your bag. Try and be careful, ok?"

Hearing the woman's last name caused Joseph to flinch as he also noticed the tag said "Veronica Zeppeli" along with her address, and while the young woman did happily take her bag back after thanking the man's grandson, Joseph Joestar was personally hoping that this meeting was a coincedence as she started walking away, before stopping again, and picking something off the floor. 

"Oh, mister?" she said as she turned towards Joseph, the old man looking her in the eye as she shyly showed him something, "Did you drop this?"

Seeing that she was holding a large, blue gem in her hand that looked like it had a tiny cross in the middle of it, Joseph couldn't help but mentally consider it a blue version of the Super Aja that caused a good bit of trouble in his youth. Though, he knew full well the stone wasn't his, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, it's not." Joseph then said, causing the young woman to sigh and slip it into her shirt pocket for now.

"I see. I figured I'd ask since it's not mine either. I'll go see if there's a security guard or a cop or something around to help." she said with a nervous smile, "Oh, er, what's your name anyway? I figured I'd ask in case this story ends up getting back to my dad, and he's bound to ask questions when well, crazy stuff happens, so... I want to be prepared when I get back home."

"Joseph Joestar." the old man said while also watching the young woman's reaction , "And my grandson here is Jotaro Kujo. We're actually leaving Egypt today."

"Alright." Veronica said, apparently not finding the old man's name familiar. "Thank you mister Joestar, and you too Mister Kujo. I hope you're trip back goes ok."

With that said, the young woman then headed off with her suitcase to take care of her own business, leaving the two Joestar men to exchange a pair of suspicious looks as she did so.

"Think she's a stand user?" Jotaro said bluntly once they were sure she was out of hearing range, while Joseph shook his head.

"No, targeted by one maybe, but who or why I really don't know."

"Leftover minion of DIO?" Jotaro asked, causing Joseph to shrug.

"If it was, they'd come after us directly, not after an innocent bystander." Joseph then said as he started walking along again with Jotaro moving beside him. "Not to mention that I don't think there would be any left now that he's gone."

"So, what caused that mishap?" Jotaro asked, "Bad luck?"

"Possibly. However..." Joseph said, slightly worried about a Zeppeli showing up after the bigger problem was dealt with, while also having her own problem. As he recalled, Santana's remains were still in a special room at the Speedwagon Foundation, and kept under UV Lights set to a separate generator to avoid them failing during a black out and as a result, let the pillar man loose. Not to mention that as Santana was the only Pillarman left, Joseph didn't worry about there being others based on what he remembered about them. Of course, as he felt Jotaro didn't really need to know about that just yet, Joseph felt that he shouldn't bring up the fact that there may be something stronger than the vampire that managed to kill him for four minutes. 

Besides, as far as he knew, Santana's master Kars was still out in space.

"However?" Jotaro then asked, drawing his grandfather out of his thoughts. 

"Don't worry." Joseph then said with a smile, "I doubt it's anything to worry about."

Jotaro however, frowned at the old man, not convinced one bit as he spoke up. "So, why has it been so quiet for the past few minutes?"

Slightly confused, Joseph then looked around, before noticing that it was indeed too quiet for an airport as not even an announcement about the next flight boarding sounded in the area. Combined with the fact that everything seemed to have turned black and white while no one around them moved a muscle, both of them realized that something strange was going on. 

"We better go see if that girl is okay." Joseph then suggested before turning around and heading in the direction Veronica had walked off in. Of course, as Jotaro followed, when they heard the girl scream again, they both ran for it. Of course, when they reached a point where the frozen crowd was too packed to even move through without potentially hurting anyone, the two men could hear the sounds of battle up ahead, especially as they saw a frozen body head towards them as it flew through the air.

"SHIT!" Joseph shouted while Jotaro used Star Platinum's power to help catch the unfortunate person and set them down on the ground. Acting quickly as he then summoned Hermit Purple before using it to grab Jotaro and grapple and swing both of them along the airport's ceiling to the surprise battlefield. Though as they got closer, they both saw the Veronica moving quickly while fighting with her scarf to attack a very unexpected sight. 

A figure with gray armor and a black, membranous body that seemed to be using shadowy tendrils and black stones to try and attack the silver haired Zepelli, who seemed to be having no real idea what she was doing as she used her scarf to shield herself as best as she could while doing her best to deflect the attacks right back at her opponent.

"J-Just what is this thing!?" Veronica said as she managed to dodge out of the way of a barrage of black stones, only for her ankle to be grabbed by the monster. As Joseph and Jotaro managed to reach the ground though, they'd see what seemed to be a shadow of Kakyoin's Heirophant Green having fully esnared the girl and drawing her to it.

"You've got to be kidding me." Jotaro said, "I thought you said she wasn't a stand user."

"Well, I may be wrong on that!" Joseph snapped as he tried to attack the enemy stand with his own, only for Hermit Purple's vines to bounce off harmlessly as a runic circle appeared beneath the shadow stand once it had fully captured Veronica, who continued to struggle against the monster. However, as it started to sink into the runes, the girl seemed to spot Joseph and Jotaro, before attempting to reach out to them for help. As the two immediately acted however, they ended up running not just into the circle, but falling through it as well.

"I'm blaming you for this." Jotaro said to his grandfather in annoyance as they fell through the unexpected portal after the monster.

"Let's just hope this doesn't kill us! I'd rather not die a second time, you know!" Joseph then cried out before being blinded by the light around both of them and soon losing consciousness as both he and Jotaro found themselves dragged into another bizarre adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so as mentioned in the summary this is crossposted from the Space Battles Forum, and this story was originally started on 10/13/2016. Also, the world of Fanterra is an original creation of mine that I started developing back in highschool, but well... isn't fully developed. After a few years. Thankfully, this story has helped me develop the world itself better, and will continue to do so. Even if I'll have to limit some things developed in Fanterra to just this story.
> 
> Anywho, it's time for some bits of trivia!
> 
> 1\. Originally, Aedan would have been named Artair, and would have at first been considered a Daemon. Then I realized that might get him confused for a demon so I changed it to him being an Urisk. However, once I read about what an actual Urisk was, and realized it didn't fit with how I described the guy already, I just decided "Fuck it, let's leave him unknown for now!"
> 
> Anywho, here's the info on both Daemons and Urisks:
> 
> Daemons/Daimons: Daimon is the Greek derivative for the term demon. In this sense the term "demon" means "replete with knowledge." The ancient Greeks thought there were good and bad demons called 'eudemons' and 'cacodemons.' The term 'daimon' means "divine power," "fate" or "god." Daimons, in Greek mythology, included deified heroes. They were considered intermediary spirits between men and the gods. Good daimons were considered to be guardian spirits, giving guidance and protection to the ones they watched over. Bad daimons led people astray.
> 
> Urisk: Urisks are solitary fairies of the woods and moors. Like dryads, they are guardians of the wilderness, but instead of trees, urisks care for wild animals. Urisks have a natural ability to bond with animals and take such companions under their wing for years at a time. An urisk resembles a satyr, but is smaller, with a hornless goat’s head and shaggy goat legs. Urisks are prone to loneliness and depression. Sometimes, when they tire of the company of animals, urisks seek out others for company. Their introverted nature make such friendships temporary at best before the urisk quietly slips back into the wild to resume its solitude.
> 
> 2\. Aedan Peadar's name comes from the Gaelic language, and does have a meaning. "Aedan" means little fire, while "Peadar" means stone. However, despite his name being "Little fire stone" in English, the guy is described as anything BUT little. 
> 
> 3\. Rio Golfinho on the other hand, has his name mean well, "River Dolphin." Because that's what he is. A magic dolphin called Boto Encantado. They are also bastards based on what I've read, that are fond of sex, partying and while great musicians, they have a habit of kidnapping people be it people they fall in love with, bastard children they parented, or just anyone living near their river that can keep them company. They can also turn people into more boto encantado, enchant people into doing what they want, and also inflicting illness, insanity and/or death with a curse. 
> 
> Yes, Amelia killed him after interrogating him. So, he's not showing up again in the story, and Bowie gets his wish for the dolphin to get what was coming to him. 
> 
> 4\. Salvador Ghostwing's mentioned backstory regarding the murderer is the short, short version of the Hans Christian Andersen story The Rose Elf, though I did take a couple of liberties with the rose Salvador came from being clear as glass, and what happened after the story in terms of him growing in size. 
> 
> 5\. Joseph's nightmare has some references to the manga hidden in it when it comes to what he sees happen during it. Though I did try to make them work via-dream logic rather than have them be plain old visions of the future for some things.
> 
> 6\. The part after the battle with DIO, up until the introduction of Veronica Zepelli required me looking at the final chapter of Stardust Crusaders for dialogue and other stuff to make sure it was right. Hopefully, it will be the only time I'll do this for the story. 
> 
> 7\. Carrying on the tradition of Jojoverse characters having their names referencing music somehow, Veronica's name comes from a song by Elvis Costello called well, "Veronica" and might also double as a reference to the band called The Veronicas as well. Pat and Bonnie are named for the artists Pat Benetar and Bonnie Tylor. Also, Dark King Bowie is well, referencing David Bowie. The fact he's a goblin is also an allusion to Jareth from the movie Labyrinth, who was played by David Bowie. 
> 
> 8\. As for Veronica's hair color, this idea started off as a "What if" post-game idea for the 7th Stand User fan-game, with Veronica representing the "Average" female character look and since that was in black and white, that character's hair was shown as silver/gray in game, and well... I decided to use that for the character-in story as a reference to that game.
> 
> Next time: He'll huff, and he'll puff, and send a hurricane after your ass!


	2. Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotaro and Joseph wake up in a tower, where a couple of surprises await them. Elsewhere in the world of Fanterra, the next Big Bad Wolf gets ready to officially claim their title...

In the world of Fanterra, dawn had come to start a new day for the world of magic and faerie tales. However, as the morning sun was seen through a hole in the side of an ancient, crumbling tower held together by red and black briars, a single mirror hanging on the wall reflected the sunlight onto the floor. While the frame around it was a gorgeous silver that didn't seem even the tiniest bit tarnished despite the condition of the tower around it, the strange, almost pained images of people sculpted into the metal seemed to hint that there was something sinister about it. Of course, as the mirror then gained an image all it's own within the glass- that of an antlered young man, a voice then rang out through the lonely tower.

"Another sunrise, another day of counting cracks in the wall, and watching the world change while I don't." the voice in the mirror said with a sigh, "Two hundred years I've been stuck here, and only the past one hundred and eighty-five years, two months and four days have been more than enough to drive a man insane from isolation. Well, at least I can spend time scrying... not like I have anything else to do. Honestly, I'd love for someone to figure out how to release me, because I have absolutely no idea how, and I can't even let myself out of this prison. Though... I doubt anyone would be willing to come up here anyway thanks to the sheer cliff that's formed over the years... and the slumberthorn growing where it can possibly doubling the risk of someone never returning home."

As the whiny mirror finished his rambling though, he would be rather surprised to see a bright flash within the secondary prison he was in, followed by two men on the floor that were dressed rather oddly. One was a young man - or so he seemed, in a long, black coat, a black hat that was torn in the back that also seemed to merge with his dark hair. However, as the first half of the mysterious pair had ended up facing down on the floor, the mirror bound observer wasn't able to see his face, or other clothes besides his pants and leather shoes, as well as what looked like gold buttons and a chain attached to the coat.

The other man however, had ended up on his back, allowing the mirror to notice that he was certainly older with gray hair and a short beard, while also wearing white gloves with what looked like black bracers of some kind, a pale yellow shirt with a brown leather hat and shoes, and light brown pants. Of course, while the mirror wanted to say something and wake them up, for some reason he was afraid to, in case it ended up frightening them and also killing him as a result.

It seemed, he'd have to watch them carefully and try to be as quiet as possible when they woke up. Well, if they weren't dead already.

~0~

Meanwhile, in the city of Bella Aquae, the canal filled capital of the coastal kingdom of Ringaia and also very far from the tower containing the magic mirror, Ricky Remus Lupo was in the process of getting dressed in his room. While he only had the company of the Lupo Family's most recent butler, Caesar Demonia, and also Ricky's long time bodyguard Wandorian Muselli for the moment, as the dark-silver haired, and wolf-tailed young man of about 26 years slipped on a pair of comfortable, gray cotton pants, he sighed as he stopped to look at his two companions.

"Something wrong, Master Richard?" Wandorian said, the giant of a man with dark skin and the exposing armor of a gladiator covering his chest and nethers, just letting his cold blue eyes keep contact with the wolf's own golden ones. 

"Just... nerves I guess, Wamu." Ricky said while ignoring Caesar's groan at the wolf's nicknaming habit of taking the first two letters of a person's first and last names, before combining them into a four letter word. While it didn't always work, the 18 year old butler found it kind of silly that a grown man would do something that seemed kind of childish. "I mean, it's been almost over a week since the funeral, and with having to wait for the weather to turn good just to set the test up, well... we both know I'm weaker than my twin was."

Wamu simply nodded in silence, though he did smile a bit as he remembered how often his remaining charge would get into a fight just to prove his strength. Yet, in spite of his headstrong nature, the man he was hired to protect by Ricky's late father, alongside Ricky's late brother Alan, had been a compassionate man who cared for his family. Even treating his cousin Luna like a younger sister when she was taken in by the main Lupo family after she survived the slaughter of her branch. 

However, when Ricky's father died, and it was time for one of the two brothers to take over, they had to fight each other before it could be decided who would use the Wind Stone- the Lupo's family heirloom and the very symbol of the house's leader known the Big Bad Wolf, and take the trial required to fully inherit the title and power associated with it. Alan of course, had proved the stronger of the two, and so inherited everything while Ricky would have been meant to start a new branch of the family- had the recent tragedy not occurred. 

"I still can't believe the Reds attacked us during a time of truce!" Caesar then said, causing both the large warrior and Ricky to look at the pale, blond young man with two purple marks on his cheeks. Neither knew where they came from since they'd been there Caesar's whole life according to him, but whatever the reason, it was most likely a sign that magic might have been involved. 

"Cade, calm down." Ricky then growled as he gave a glare to Caesar, while also using his nickname for the new Lupo family butler. "Rida... I-I mean Officer Day and I both talked to Old Man Care at the Red estate across the bridge yesterday, and Wamu did come along just in case. According to him, the damn she-cat who killed Allu did so against orders to leave us alone due to that little code of conduct worked up for the blood feud, so, she's disowned completely, and once she's been hunted down? She's getting her just desserts."

"Are you sure that's what he said?" Caesar then said flatly as he remembered his boss's blatant crush on Officer Riley Day of the City Watch. "Because if Officer Day was there, then I'd be more surprised you actually listened to the old man running the Reds instead of undressing her in your mind." 

"Cade, I can listen on important matters." Ricky then growled as he started pulling pulling on his white shirt and started tucking it into his pants after he turned to face the mirror again, though both his companions at the moment could see he was blushing, "Besides, even if she's got a nice pair of legs... and a good pair of hips and a great chest to round out the curves... Officer Day would shoot me if she even thought I was imagining her like that."

Caesar however, said nothing at the comment, only giving his boss a very annoyed look that showed he really didn't believe him as the young man got up and helped Ricky get his vest, coat and tie on. He honestly didn't know why Ricky liked to dress like a butler rather than the nobleman that the wolf was- even if he was at the lowest rung of nobility as a mere lord, but Caesar assumed even nobility had their nut jobs every now and then.  
On the bright side, at least he didn't have to help get the wolf in tights, pantaloons, doublets or worst of all, cod-pieces like his predecessor and adoptive father had to for Ricky's father and the late Alan.

"Cameo Red did indeed say those things about the murderer." Wamu then said as he sensed Caesar's need for clarification while the young man was also busy tying back Ricky's hair into a low pony-tail, "However, because they made sure her things were destroyed, we only have that scrap Master Richard found... at... at the crime scene."

Hearing the large, muscular man's voice crack as he remembered his failure to protect Ricky's brother brought a sad moment into the room as Ricky quietly picked up the Wind Stone pin with his now gloved hand, and looked down at it. He knew full well that the stone was very, very picky about who held it, and how it would change form for each new owner it gained as he recalled how it looked like an amulet for his father, and the ring it became when his brother gained it. As he also knew that the stone would only let itself have one owner at a time, and always from the Lupo family thanks to the magic that bound it to his bloodline, that anyone else who tried to take it after it had gained a new owner would find their fingers actually pass through the stone, no matter what form it took. That little anti-theft measure that kept Ricky from taking it while his father was still alive so long ago had managed to save it from being stolen by Alan's murderer, and also let Ricky himself know that he was to be the big bad wolf- if he could pass the test anyway. 

A knock at the door broke all three men out of their thoughts just then, followed by a female voice.

"Hey, Rilu, it's Luna." said the visitor, "Rida's shown up, saying you invited her to witness the test you need to take outside of town today? Also, have you seen Cade around? I want to talk to him about something."

Judging by her tone as she mentioned Caesar, and the young butler gulping as he seemed to act like he was in trouble, Ricky and Wamu sent the young man a glare as the wolf spoke.

"Yeah, I'm almost ready Lulu! I just gotta grab my hat." Ricky then said as he grabbed his black, short brimmed, and rather undecorated hat off the bedpost before sticking the Wind Stone onto his tie, while his bodyguard grabbed Caesar and picked him up off the floor in a bearhug. "And yeah, Cade's in here... did he do something to piss you off Lulu?"

As he opened up the door to see his cousin- an 18 year old girl with pointed ears, long silver hair pulled back into a high pony tail, and on her body, wore a tunic over a purple, short sleeved shirt and leather pants with brown boots and a blue bandanna around her neck, the golden-eyed girl looked Caesar right in his own green eyes and growled as she spoke, while the fur on her tail bristled out a bit. 

"No Rilu, he didn't do anything to piss me off." Luna then said with a sigh while Caesar just seemed frightened of something else, "I just want to talk to him about uh... something private."

"Really?" Ricky said, looking between Luna and Caesar in confusion, "Listen, if it's something I need to know, you can always tell me, ok? Unless of course, you were attacked when Cade here was supposed to keep an eye on you out in the city?"

"N-No! It's nothing like that, sir!" Caesar then said, while Luna sighed, "Now Wandorian, will you please let me go so I can uh... tend to Miss Luna's request?"

"Rilu, I know you're worried about my safety since Allu died, but really cousin, it's not what you think!" Luna said as she looked a bit pleadingly towards the big bodyguard, "I just wanted Caesar's advice on a surprise for you! I mean, I do want to be prepared when your birthday comes along, and I don't want to spoil it by having you knowing what it is after all!"

"Alright, alright." Ricky then said with a smile as he adjusted his hat a bit, and also snapped his fingers to let Wamu know he could let the butler go. As Caesar gasped for breath and left quickly with Luna, Ricky looked towards the large man with short, indigo-colored hair, and nodded as the two headed down to the parlor to meet with the lovely Riley Day, and head on out to the testing site.

~0~

Back in the tower, Jotaro Kujo let out a groan as he felt something solid under his body, and as he opened his eyes, he did raise an eyebrow in confusion as he found himself and his still unconscious grandfather in what looked like a ruin- a tower most likely seeing as there was a stairway leading up and only one room on the floor they were on at the moment. Of course, as he turned and saw the hole leading outside, he stepped forward just enough to see the world outside, at first thinking he and his grandfather were just in a ruin somewhere else in Egypt. However as soon as he saw green, grass covered land, a small village in the distance, and most importantly the sheer drop from the hole in the building that seemed to go at least ten feet before stopping at the start of a mountain trail, he then realized that they were definitely not in Egypt.

As he moved away in silence, he then looked around the inside of the ruin, noting the stone bricks surrounding them, red and black briars growing in a couple of corners and even covering up a few statues that decorated the room. From what he could see of the statues, they seemed to depict people from medieval times- be it mainland Europe or the British isles, he wasn't sure yet, leading him to assume that they were in the remains of a castle somewhere very far north of the country they were in before. Of course, as he remembered what happened that led the two heroes to end up there, with time stopping and what looked like a shadow of Heirophant Green kidnapping that girl they ran into, he began to wonder just what kind of stand could not only stop time save for at least three people, but also transport people to other parts of the world. Whatever was using this sort of Stand, not only seemed to be a bigger threat than DIO, but also much more powerful as well. Though, there was still the question of why the Stand went after that girl, Veronica Zepelli, not to mention why it looked like the stand of the late Kakyoin Noriaki. The facts that there was no sign of a user anywhere during the time-freeze, as well as Veronica being able to see that stand, when she didn't seem to see either his or Joseph's own Stands before, made him suspect that she may have been that stand's user. However, the way she reacted upon seeing it, and even battled against it with her scarf made him realize she had probably never seen a stand before, and might have been a newly awakened user at that very moment. 

He then remembered his grandfather's reaction to the girl's name, and began to wonder for a moment if perhaps the man knew something about her, or more likely, her family as Jotaro recalled that she didn't seem to know the man at all. 

"Too many questions." Jotaro then said to himself, before frowning as he was flashed in the eyes by some sunlight hitting the mirror at the end of the room. Moving out of the way of the reflection though, he then noticed a bird fly into the room through the hole in the wall, only to get caught in the briars hanging slightly off the outer wall. Watching as the bird flinched for a moment in pain before falling limp, he worried that the briars were poisonous, before noticing that it was still breathing as if it were asleep. Not knowing of any plant that could even do that so easily, Jotaro then realized it probably wouldn't be wise to touch the briars- just in case they can do the same to a person that they could to a small bird. 

It was then that he looked down and saw his shadow infont of him on the ground, forcing him to turn around as he saw his grandfather's body start to glow and change as the man's hair became brown and slightly longer, his beard fading away, and in general- seemed to just be getting younger before Jotaro's eyes. 

"What? Is... this a side effect of the blood transfusion?" Jotaro said in surprise, as he recalled what he ended up doing to save his grandfather after he had died temporarily thanks to the blasted vampire. Even if it did lead to Joseph pulling a terrible prank out of his ass when it worked. Of course, as the light faded and Joseph groaned as he woke up, the now younger looking man sat up and looked at his grandson, not yet aware of the change to his body.

"Ugh... Jotaro, where the hell are we?" Joseph said, before stopping as he noticed his voice sounded different, and if Jotaro hadn't seen the change, he certainly wouldn't have believed this man was his grandfather- even if he was wearing the old man's clothes right now. 

"Ruined tower of some kind. Definitely not in Egypt." Jotaro said as he lowered the brim of his cap before dusting off the sleeveless, greenish-gray shirt he had on under his coat. "Also, you seemed to have gotten younger."

"Wait, really?" Joseph then said as he stood up, looked around and spotted the mirror, and his reflection showing the green eyed man's self back in his youth. "Huh. So I have."

As Joseph took the glove off his replacement hand, he sighed as he saw it was still mechanical, rather than flesh and blood. "Well, looks like I won't be getting that hand back then. Though, Suzie and your mother will be in for a surprise once we get home, eh Jotaro?"

"If we can find an airport." Jotaro said, while he watched his grandfather walk towards the mirror to get a better look at himself. Though, both would be in for a surprise when Joseph reached out to touch the frame, only for a voice to sound out.

_"W-Wait! Don't touch the frame!"_

Joseph then stopped and pulled back in confusion, knowing that voice definitely wasn't his grandson's, and while it sounded like it came from right in front of him, he looked around to see only himself and Jotaro in the room. Shrugging he then turned back around, only to spot a rat crawling down the side of the wall, and touching the frame, only to suddenly be absorbed into the silver frame and actually end up becoming a part of it as well. 

"H-HOLY SHIT!" Joseph then shouted while Jotaro merely flinched at the sight, the formerly old man then accidentally hitting the mirror held in place by the frame while the voice from before actually kept saying 'No!' until Joseph's metal hand struck the glass and cracked it. Stepping back as he watched the crack expand across the whole mirror, he then ended up jumping back as it ended up shattering to pieces right in front of him.

"Uh... Really hope this isn't going to bite me in the ass." Joseph said, while Jotaro grumbled and looked down at the ground, only for both to see the shards melt into a silvery liquid and start forming into the shape of a man with antlers. As the shape solidified and changed from what seemed like mercury to flesh and bone, they saw that the stranger was a young man in a white, long-sleeved shirt under a simple brown leather jerkin tied together with thick string, as well as pale yellow, knee-length pants, white stockings and black, ankle-high boots with flat soles. Of course, the man also had a large backpack that was stuffed full on his shoulders, as well as long hair the color of a terracotta pot that was tied back into a low ponytail. Of course, as Joseph and Jotaro crept a little closer to the unconscious man laying on his side, they also noticed that he had pointed ears, a deer tail, and of course, huge antlers.

"Okay... what is that?" Jotaro asked calmly, despite not being sure if this was a stand or a stand user that was mutated somehow, while also noting that the man's clothing seemed to fit a fairy tale or something more than anything. 

"Judging by the antlers? I'd say he's oh... a fifty point buck." Joseph said with a grin at the lousy joke.

"Gimme a break..." Jotaro said as he lowered the bill of his cap over his eyes and nudged the deer-man with his foot, causing the thinly built man's ice blue eyes to open up as he tried to sit up quickly. Unfortunately, the buck's antlers were just heavy enough to send him falling straight to the floor again, followed by a loud "CRACK!" as the antlers broke off.

"Oh, that hurt..." the buck then said, before flinching a bit and starting to ramble as he stood up, wobbled a bit and completly ignored Joseph and Jotaro as he continued. "Wait, that hurt. Not to mention I'm not surrounded by a silvery void anymore, which means I'm in the tower... and I'm free."

"You're... welcome?" Joseph then said, getting the deer-man's attention as he saw the shorter young man seem to look him over before smiling. 

"Oh, yes thank you. I'm Pietro Aifread, and I'd love to stay and chat, but unfortunately, there's something heartbreaking that I need to see upstairs. Very sorry." the strange stag-man said, and before Jotaro or even Joseph could stop him and ask why, the man was running and high speed up the stairs. After a brief exchange of confused looks, the two men of the Joestar bloodline then followed after the weirdo, wondering what sort of stand let him run that fast, and also why he knew what he needed to see was heartbreaking.

~0~

"So, let me get this straight. Ricky's trial for becoming the Big Bad Wolf, is just blowing a couple of unused houses down?" City watchman Riley Day said flatly, the gorgeous red-head in her light weight, green armor and uniform also looking a bit annoyed as her blue eyes stared at the wolf that invited her to this trial, while also looking at the two recently made houses of straw and sticks as well as the much older looking manor made of brick stood several yards apart from each other while the whole Lupo Family had gathered around the house of straw. "How the hell did the Cacciatori family allow this!?"

"From what Alan told me, before... before his death," said the blond haired woman in a black gown standing next to the officer- the late Alan Lupo's bride, Matilda Nero, the poor woman doing her best to keep her composure as she explained, "That when the original Big Bad Wolf was murdered and the blood feud between the Reds and the Lupos began, the eldest child of the wolf- Roland, found the Wind Stone hidden in a well after he and his six siblings were kicked to the curb by an aristocrat's two brothers who stole their land. Upon discovering the stone's power though, Roland decided to serve justice on the two pigs at the request of the pair's own brother who promised to give the Lupo's their home back if Roland could destroy the flimsy houses of straw and sticks with the stone's power. He did so, but the aristocrat went back on his word and while Roland couldn't knock down the brick house with the stone's power, he and his siblings did prevent anyone from visiting the three pigs who had holed up inside. Eventually, the King of Ringaia had to step in to settle matters, and upon hearing the Lupo family's story, and how the three villains tried to break their word while lying to the king himself, decreed that not only would the Lupos get their home back, but the area we're in now, which originally belonged to those three noble swine would belong to the Lupos as interest to do with as they please."

"Then that damn Brick Mansion that nobody lives in, that's been outside the city of Bella Aquae for a couple of centuries, is actually Lupo property." Riley then said flatly while mentally cursing out her superiors for not even letting her know about this information in the first place, "So then Miss Nero, what the hell does that story have to do with what's going on today?"

"Well, the Lupo family decided to have the head of the family prove themselves by repeating the feat Roland managed to do with the Wond Stone, and so every time a member of the family has to take over, the Lupos build temporary houses of straw and sticks for the trial, and knocking those two down is usually all that's needed." Matilda then said with a smile, "Some have tried to blow down the brick house and failed just to see if they could pull it off at all, but I believe the main reason the Royal Family hasn't tried to stop this is because the trial taker always faces away from the city to avoid any damage to it, or any unlucky citizens that might get hit by the debris."

"So... as long as no one blows towards Bella Aquae, it's fine." Riley said in disbelief, "I still don't even know why I agreed to come out here to see Lupo try and do some demolition in the first place."

While Matilda gave the city watchman a look that said she was lying, the red head sighed and remembered just how Ricky Lupo had invited her.

**********

It had been just after Alan's funeral. It had finally stopped raining and Officer Day was working security just to make sure the Lupos weren't attacked again during the proceedings. Sure, they were technically part of the criminal underworld, but due to the deal the Lupos struck with the Watch that gave the law enforcers information on the big crimes going down in exchange for the Lupos being considered "Special Agents of the Royal Family" and therefore untouchable by the law, there were certain perks for the wolves that tended to get used often. Especially when their rivals, the Reds were involved.

She still didn't like the fact that Ricky Lupo personally requested her presence there, since in the officer's eyes, he was just a wolf that bothered her with his antics, especially when he hit on her. Sure, he was handsome- to some people anyway, but his looks didn't distract Riley from the fact that the rather persistent man could be a pain whenever he asked her for a date. Of course, as the normally smirking and laid back Ricky Lupo had been rather miserable since his brother's death, having become withdrawn, quiet and even acting a bit more professional as he didn't even flirt with her once during that time.

It was actually concerning for Riley as she realized that this behavior from Ricky kind of creeped her out.

So, once everyone else had left but Ricky and his bodyguard Wamu, especially as the butler, Caesar led away both a crying Matilda and wrapped an arm around Luna Lupo as he escorted them away from the grave, Riley herself went over to speak to the wolf.

"Lupo." she said, and only earning a glance in her direction as Ricky stared at the grave in silence, the man's expression rather cold in comparison to his usual smile, and combined with the fangs poking out slightly over his lower lip, it seemed pretty intimidating to someone besides the officer as she continued to speak. "I know you miss him, however considering the circumstances of you finding the body, and the Reds denying involvement to the point that all of them have an alibi... I'm afraid that it looks very bad for you, Lupo."

The implication that Ricky might have murdered his own brother's life was enough to snap his head towards Riley, growling as he seemed a bit more feral as the wolf glared at the officer. 

"Officer Day." Ricky then said, causing the woman to flinch as he used that instead of 'Rida' as he normally called her, "If there is one thing I'd never do- even with a knife to my back, it's harming my family. I would _never_ kill Allu, nor would I do anything to intentionally hurt my cousin Luna on either a physical or emotional level. I, and my family all know what we smelled in that room when I called everyone after discovering the body, and I loved my twin brother too much to do anything that'd risk ending that damn blood feud! There was a woman there that killed him, tore her red cloak on the little trap Pop set up on the window sill to help track down anyone who broke in and escaped through the window, but somehow left the city too easily. I'm guessing magic of some kind. 

"In any event..." Ricky then said as he gripped the pin on his tie- why he decided to dress like that, the armored officer didn't really know, even if it did make him look a little snazzy, "I'm the bearer of the Wind Stone now. Over the next few days, the family's going to be setting things up for me- a trial to take so I can earn my brother's title. And well... I... I want you there when I do."

"What." Officer Riley said flatly as Wamu just rolled his eyes at what seemed to be another attempt to ask out the law enforcer for a date. "Why are you asking me to come to this family thing of yours!?"

Ricky just blinked in surprise at the officer, causing her even more confusion as he answered. "You... seriously don't remember the day we met, do you?"

"Oh, you mean when the Captain introduced me to you in private, and you tried to grab my ass?" Riley said dryly, while causing the wolf to blush and growl again as Wamu just did his best to keep from laughing at the two arguing once again.

"Hey, I told you that ass grab was an accident cause some asshole pushed me into the room! And we met before that, dammit!" Ricky then barked out, before taking a step back and a deep breath as he looked off to the side and ran his gloved fingers through his long, dark silver hair. "Geeze, you and your big brother save my life when we were kids, and you completely forget about it!"

"What are you talking about now, Lupo!?" Riley asked, and getting ready to punch the wolf's face in if he didn't give her a good answer.

"Thirteen years ago you and your older brother Holden came across an alley way where a fight was going down and saw a bestial elf- specifically a wolf getting his butt kicked by a grown man after that wolf kicked the asses of the kids that jerk was conning into doing his dirty work for him. Your brother used his crossbow to get the bastard in the shoulder, while you used a slingshot and a lucky hit on his noggin was what saved that young wolf from getting his lungs crushed by that asshole's foot." Ricky said out of embarrassment, "I... was the guy getting his tail kicked that you and Holden rescued."

"... And you managed to remember this, how?" Riley asked, having completely forgotten until now, "Seriously, I forgot that day, and since Holden went off to become a bounty hunter and is Gods know where, I've been working my ass off to just to achieve my dream to become a member of the City Watch!"

"I... remembered your scent when I caught it outside the door of the chief's office, and I ended up remembering the after math of that meeting." Ricky admitted, "You know, with you telling me you wanted to be an officer, and us hanging out while I told you I planned on becoming the head of my family? I even promised that when the time came for me to take over... I well... I'd invite you to the ceremony, ok?"

Riley was the one blushing as she then recalled that incident completely, before clearing her throat and turning her back to Ricky, "So, you're asking me to come, so you could try and keep a promise I don't even remember? Geeze, if you're going to repay a debt, Lupo, you can do better than that, right?"

"Well, I did convince Pop to help recommend you for Academy training when I got home that day... I mean, we were both thirteen at the time, and you were eligible to enter the academy for the royal guard, so... I thought it'd be a good way to repay you as early as possible, ok?" Ricky said, while Wamu ended up smirking slightly as he saw his charge finally get somewhere with the woman he crushed on for the past couple of years.

"You... you're family was the reason I got accepted!?" Riley said, "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner!?"

"Well maybe it was because I was worried you'd think I was a dick for hanging it over your head or somethin!?" Ricky argued, "Dammit Rida, I've been in love with you since we met in the Captain's office, if anything, I was hoping you wouldn't think I was some asshole, just because my family does some illegal things while working for the Royal Family! Now, are you coming to the thing or not?"

"...I'll be there. Just give me a message and a time when everything's ready, ok?" Riley then said after a few moments of silence, and with a nod from Ricky, watched the man and his bodyguard leave her in the cemetery, with not just a new view on the guy who annoyed the hell out of her, but also a bit of respect for him as well.

**********

Riley would then be drawn out of her thoughts as the trial would begin, with Ricky walking towards the straw house after taking his coat off and handing it to Caesar- before the young butler retreated to away from the action while one of the older members of the family- a distant cousin from what Matilda had mentioned, come forward and look towards the potential new head of the Lupo family.

"So, the weaker of Ares' twin boys is taking the trial?" The one-eyed and battle scarred old wolf growled, his thick, black beard helping him seem much more intimidating to the rest of the family while Ricky Lupo seemed unphased. "You couldn't even beat your late brother in combat, what makes you think you'll be able to handle the Wind Stone's power?"

Ricky was silent as he looked away, seemingly unsure of himself as the older wolf saw this and grinned, showing his sharp fangs as he leaned closer. "Heh, nothing to say, runt? Figures, considering your Pa was nothin' more than a wimp compared to me, and just fought dirty when he took the stone. I don't expect his remaining son to be able to do what he, and his other boy had pulled off by dumb luck. Besides, Ares did nothing to help his own brother when he was slaughtered, but thought he could make up for it by taking in his little frightened ne---"

Thankfully, the asshole was punched in the face rather hard by Ricky, who growled as the stone pinned to his tie glowed a faint blue, while the older wolf sat on the ground and held a hand over his broken nose.

"Stop disrespecting the dead, Wallace." Ricky said, not even bothering with a nickname for the man while everyone noticed that a breeze certainly started to pick up as the younger wolf continued to speak, "Now, either shaddup and let me do this, or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll send a gale at your ass!"

As Wallace gave a gulp before he retreated with his tail between his legs and yelped in pain as it hurt to breathe through his nose right now, Ricky then turned towards the Straw House and took a couple of deep breaths, held them in his lungs for a moment as the stone glowed and finally blew the air towards the straw house- the stone powering him enough to create a wind strong enough to actually rip the house part! Straw and the temporary shack's foundation scattered about, and as Ricky kept blowing and keeping some straw over his head, he decided to show off a bit by having a ball of it go up into the sky and land on top of Wallace's head as a little extra payback for pissing him off earlier.

"... There's the Lupo I know." Riley said as she watched the pain in her ass show his more playful side, earning her a chuckle from Ricky's cousin Luna, who was also standing a bit close to Caesar Demonia that Riley got the feeling something was up between them. As for Wamu, he merely clapped in silence as his charge seemed to be going back to his old self as the crowd moved on to the next house. After Ricky had a chance to catch his breath, he then faced the house of sticks and repeated the feat with a slightly stronger breath as he knocked it down as well. 

_"So glad I took time to practice with this rock while I was waiting on the trial to get set up."_ Ricky thought with a smirk as a few members of the family that agreed with Wallace seemed to grumble and call out in confusion about how a weakling like Ricky was able to pull this off. 

"Are you going to try the brick house now?" said someone from the peanut gallery, while also earning a few laughs as well, "You passed the trial, sure, but if you want to take on the challenge not even our ancestor Roland could succeed in, we won't hold it against you if you fail!"

Despite the roars of laughter going through the crowd, along with the gossip and insults hiding in whispers under the mirth only Caesar, Luna and Wamu seemed uneasy as Ricky growled in annoyance while adjusting his tie and tugging on his gloves like he was afraid they'd slip off his hands.

"Oh no." Luna and Caesar ended up saying at the same time, while Riley looked at them in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Riley then asked, only to be answered by a loud howl from Ricky getting everyone's attention.

"Now listen up here and now!" he said, the wind stone glowing brightly as he spoke, "I'm going to take on the Brick Challenge, and succeed or fail, I'm going to be the Big Bad Wolf of the Lupo Family! However! I've heard some of you morons call me weak, call my father a bastard due to him failing to send protection to my uncle's branch of the family to protect them from an attack, and also insult my late brother with insinuations that I killed him for the power! I'm gonna say that ain't true! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for that damn blood feud taking away people we loved dearly in our family. So, I'm going to do my damndest as the Big Bad Wolf and end it once and for all, and get the Reds to finally honor the deal little Red Riding Hood made with the original Big Bad Wolf Centuries ago without blood shed, and then I'm gonna hunt down that damn she-cat who broke the rules of the feud!"

Silence fell on the crowd before whispers of whether or not Ricky could pull it off went through the crowd, all while the wolf got on all fours and moved quickly towards the Brick Manor, a wild look in his eyes as he grinned during his run. As the crowd went after him though, they saw him stop and stand up straight as he made it halfway past the gate, and took a great breath.

"I'll pull it off." he said to himself, "I'll knock this house down, and I'm going to end this mess once and for all! For the Lupos, for the city, for all of Fanterra, and finally, I'm gonna bring justice to my brother's killer. So, if you can hear me big brother, I hope you'll help me from the other side _Alluuuuuuuu!"_

As Ricky Lupo let out a howl as he called out his late brother's nickname, the Wind Stone at his throat glowed the brightest it had ever done in the entire history of the Lupo Family. Not only that, but the very gale Ricky managed to send out was the strongest any living member had seen as it hit the house. Though nothing seemed to happen at first, Ricky kept inhaling as much as he could and blowing it all out with as much power as he could and as a result, a brick some one had carved a symbol into a couple of centuries ago started to loosen from the building and soon flew off into the distance and very, very far from view.

"Di-did you see that!?" someone said as Ricky kept on going, "He... He managed to loosen a brick!"

"Holy shit, he's actually doing it!" someone else said as the winds Ricky conjured up with the stone and his breath grew stronger and stronger and more bricks started being stripped off the manor, along with bits of the roof. Eventually, Ricky managed to get his gales up to the strength of a hurricane as he kept going, and with three mighty blows, utterly stripped the foundations bare as all that remained of the brick manor was the bare first floor, and something else unexpected.

A sleeping young woman in very odd looking clothes (even compared to Ricky Lupo's custom made outfit), a black and white checkered scarf on her shoulders, long, pale silver hair, and finally a large blue stone attached to a golden collar around her neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The chapter names will be coming from songs- the prologue is from the Tankus the Hedge song "Life is a Grimm Tale Sometimes" while this chapter's name comes from Within Temptation's "Somewhere."
> 
> 2\. The bits with Ricky Lupo actually occur the day before Jotaro and Joseph arrive in Fanterra. Also, the narrative will be split between Team Jojo's side, and Veronica's side of things as well as other characters that'll be important. At least until a certain point.
> 
> 3\. Joseph's (lame) joke about Pietro being a fifty point buck originally would have been "A buck fifty" but eh... that seemed like it'd be too lame, even by Joseph's standards due to it probably not making much sense.
> 
> 4\. For those wondering why I decided to De-age Joseph, well, I wanted to see what happens if Joseph, with his younger body but with the stand powers and mind of his older self might result in. That, and the idea of Young Man Joseph in his Stardust Crusader's endgame outfit was fun to imagine as well. As for why he didn't seem to phased by the sudden youth? Joseph has seen some weird shit already.
> 
> 5\. Jotaro trying to figure out where they are after he wakes up, is an attempt to show his deductive skills he claimed he got by watching Columbo, and I also hope he's in character so far for the story. Though, while he and Joseph still think they were on Earth, Pietro's appearance may end up shaking that hypothesis. Also, I wasn't sure how much Joseph told Jotaro about the Ripple or Battle Tendency, so I'm just assuming it wasn't much and because of that, he thinks that Veronica might have been using a stand to control her scarf.
> 
> 6\. As a bonus bit of trivia to the Prologue, the scarf is indeed a shout out to Lisa Lisa's fighting style, and to also show that Veronica in true Zeppeli fashion, knows how to use the Ripple, or Hamon if you prefer using that term. Also, yes, Veronica's scarf is made from the same material as Lisa Lisa's, and has the Zeppeli-checkerboard pattern from Will Anthonio Zeppeli's top hat on it. As for how she exists if she's not related to Caesar? He had 4 unamed siblings. She's related to him through one of them. Also, hopefully she won't end up following the Zeppeli-Joestar tradition of death via-sacrifice.
> 
> 7.Moving on to the Lupo side of the chapter... Originally, I would have started off with the funeral itself, about one week before the events at the airport. However, I felt I couldn't get through writing the whole procession without boring the readers, and changed it to Ricky getting ready for his trial while also chatting with Caesare and Wamu. In my head, Ricky just tries to pull off a sort of "High-fantasy mafioso" look which causes him to stick out from the rest of Fanterra due to his clothes being ahead of the times. Why? Well back in highschool, I tried to make a comic about Fanterra, and when I came up with Ricky Lupo, he well, wore a suit, tie and fedora when I first drew him. I liked the look enough that even now, he dresses in something as close to that look as possible, though the Wind Stone wasn't even added to the Lupo family lore until earlier this year. The constant between that comic and today though, besides Ricky's look, was his brother's murder, the murderer being a woman, the Rivalry between the Reds and the Lupos, and Ricky's crush on Riley, who was a cop in a superhero/modern world that got visited by Fanterrans in the original comic. The comic is also where Pietro came from, but I'll go more into detail about that next chapter.
> 
> No, this comic is not online anywhere, so don't go looking for it.
> 
> 8.If anyone expected versions of Caesar and Wamuu to be in the same room and not try to kill each other in any universe, then congratulations, you may be as crazy as I am. Speaking of Wamuu, I went with the hair color used for him in the digitally colored version of the manga, rather than the anime. Why? I felt it'd be easier for me to help differentiate the two by hair color while I was writing, since in the anime... they're both blonde, and that'd probably make it confusing to read. As for Wamu's Fanterran name? Pulled out of my ass as I tried to think of something that could be shortened to "Wamu."
> 
> 9\. For those wondering, Ricky's hat is a Tall Hat, which is from the Elizabethan Era. I'm not sure if images can be shown in the notes section of each chapter, so I advise looking it up yourself. Sorry folks.
> 
> 10\. Riley's brother Holden may or may not be a Fanterran alternate of Hol Horse. Also, Cameo Red is not an alternate of Cameo from Stardust Crusaders. He is an alternate of a Jojo character though, but who it is won't be revealed just yet.
> 
> That's all for now everyone, next time?
> 
> Veronica, Jotaro and Joseph learn that they definitely aren't in Kansas- er, Egypt anymore...


	3. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica awakens in the world of Fanterra, and quickly realizes her life is going to get... _interesting_ from now on. Meanwhile, Joseph and Jotaro gain not just a new ally, but also learn some surprising things about the world.

_It was difficult to breathe, thanks to her attacker's tendrils wrapping around her body. She didn't know where it was taking her, but as her vision blurred from lack of air, she was worried she was about to die._

Someone help me! _she thought to herself, before feeling her eyes begin to close. However, suddenly she heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed before her attacker screamed in pain as she found herself released from its hold. Gasping for air as she found herself inside some sort of old, dusty and abandoned manor at night, she saw the monster that kidnapped her, along with a man with rose-pink hair, four red wings that looked like they were made of giant rose-petals, and a green and gold overcoat, green pants and black shoes. With his back towards her, she wondered just who this guy was, and why he was holding a sword in hand._

_"You won't have her." he said to the monster that brought her to this place. However, all went dark before she could hear anything else from the stranger, or saw what happened next._

**********

Veronica groaned as she woke up at the end of her dream, grumbling that she didn't even get to see who rescued her. Of course, due to feeling a bed under her, and also the fact she was not quite fully aware of her surroundings, Veronica assumed she had passed out in the airport and her friends had either taken her to their hotel or the hospital.

"Pat... Bonnie, what's going on?" Veronica said sleepily as she sat up and rubbed her eyes only to feel a large hand hold her steady, and definitely not feeling familiar to her at all. Becoming much more alert now, Veronica looked around quickly, and saw that she was in a very lavish looking room, wearing a white night-gown and unfortunately was in the company of a man with pointed ears, silver hair, yellow eyes and looked like he was dressed as a pseudo-medieval 1930s mobster, and a very big man with indigo hair, deep blue eyes, dark skin and looked like a gladiator.

"Hi there." The pointy eared man then said with a grin as he sat comfortably in a leather chair while also having the girl's clothes and scarf folded up on a table next to him, showing Veronica that he had fangs.

The scream that followed was enough to cause the man to howl loudly, and as Veronica listened, it was enough noise to cause more howling to come through the building as she wondered just what the hell sort of horror movie did she manage to end up in.

"Ugh, stop screaming! PLEASE!" he begged, writhing in pain as he whined and howled even after he ended up falling out of his chair and hitting the floor. "Geeze, I'm sorry I scared the crap out of ya, but I didn't deserve this!"

Veronica thankfully, then stopped screaming, and after the ringing managed to stop in his ears, the man waited for his large companion to signal that it was safe before uncovering his ears. 

"Oh thank the Brothers... I hate having better than average hearing somedays..." the man then mumbled under his breath, before getting up and dusting himself off as he addressed Veronica directly. "Now then, ma'am, if you're done scr---"

"Who are you two, where the hell am I, h-how'd I get here and wh-where are my friends!?" Veronica then asked quickly in a panic, "A-Are you some sort of were-wolf!? A-Are you going to eat me!?"

As the two men exchanged rather annoyed looks with each other, it was quite clear they were going to have to remain as calm as possible while also helping the girl relax.

"Right. That." The man said with a sigh as he removed his hat and ran his fingers through his now loosely hanging dark silver hair. "So... I'm Ricky Lupo, and the big guy here is Wamu. You're in my house in Bella Aquae, Ringaia, we found you on the floor of a brick house that's... not around anymore, and we found you all alone. I ain't going to eat you, and I'm just as human as you and Wamu."

Veronica simply looked at Wamu and Ricky, the larger man with blue hair giving a polite smile as he waved in silence to greet the young woman while she seemed to have a bit of trouble procession what the wolf-man had said. Realizing that what happened at the airport wasn't a dream and that she seemed to be all alone, and most likely not even on Earth judging by Ricky's appearance, she soon managed to say something. 

"Uh... I'm pretty sure humans don't have pointy ears, fangs, and... tails?" Veronica said nervously, causing both Ricky and Wamu to blink in surprise. 

"Are there not Bestial Elves where you are from, Miss?" Wamu asked then, only to earn more confusion from the silver haired woman.

"What are Bestial Elves? I thought he claimed to be human?" Veronica asked, "I mean, aren't elves more... myths and legends or something?"

"Wow. I knew you smelled otherworldly, but... geez... didn't think wherever the hell you're from was that clueless..." Ricky said with a groan, "Alright. So. A Bestial Elf is what I'm considered 'officially' but the elf part? Complete pigshit. Bestial elves like me come from human ancestors, and always when one or both parents were turned into an animal at some point, before getting changed back. In my case, that happened eh, two, three centuries ago for my ancestor who got turned into a wolf for a while.. and got cursed with a long life to boot but that's another story altogether. Anywho, it varies how long the animal thing lasts from family to family, but since we don't have extended lifespans or fae blood in us? We're pretty much as human as you are like I said."

"So... you're a variant species of human that just exists due to... what, magic or something?" Veronica asked, earning a clap from Ricky.

"Exactly!" the wolf then said with a grin, "Though, due to the whole 'elf' bit caused by the ears, most of us just call ourselves Beastials nowadays. Helps keep the actual elves from trying to kill us. Buncha-pricks..."

"That... is kind of petty." Veronica said, getting the idea quite clearly. "So... were-wolves don't exist... where ever the hell I am? I mean, I'm definitely not on Earth, since I've never heard of Bella Aquae or Ringaia... and well, I'm pretty sure there aren't any pointy-eared people back home..."

"This world, is called Fanterra, and while were-beasts do exist, they don't live in cities or towns... thankfully." Wamu said before clearing his throat, "Now, before we get too off track, will you tell us your name, miss?"

"Oh, it's Veronica." the young woman said, blushing out of embarrassment.

"You got a last name, Veronica, or is that not a thing where you're from?" Ricky said flatly, and earning a small glare from Veronica as well. 

"Veronica Zeppeli." she then said, causing Ricky to hum as he started talking to himself a bit.

"Veronica Zeppeli huh? Let's see what I can work with..." he said, while Veronica looked on in confusion as Wamu simply chuckled a bit, "Ve and Ze are certainly a good combo... Vee-Zee? Veeze? Veyze? Hmm... yeah, 'Veyze' might work as a pronunciation.... okay, let's go with that then! Nice to meet ya Veze!"

As Veronica just shook Ricky's offered hand in confusion, it was quite clear she didn't quite get what he had just done at all, causing Wamu to smile a bit as he explained.

"Master Richard likes to try and turn the first two letters of a person's first and last name into a... nickname to use with them." the warrior then said, "For example, he calls me Wamu, due to my full name being Wandorian Muselli. It may not always work, but he has fun trying anyway."

"I see. So... why bring me to your home instead of taking me to a hospital or wake me up out there, anyway?" Veronica then asked, finding the fact that both of these men didn't seem to mistrust her at all with how nice they seemed towards her was suspicious. Though, the two did look confused as Ricky raised an eyebrow when she mentioned the word hospital before he spoke again.

"We tried waking you up when me and the rest of the family found you, but since you slept through hurricane force winds, we were forced to wait for ya to wake up on your own. Besides..." Ricky then said as he started taking on a more serious tone, "I wanna know how exactly you ended up in a house that was not only locked at all times, but warded against magically breaking in."

"Okay... though, I don't know how much you'll understand..." Veronica said, and soon started telling her story.

~0~

"So... Ricky managed to take over as Big Bad Wolf, and I'll admit, he surprisingly managed to destroy all three houses." Caesar said while in Luna's room- which was decorated with a shelf of knuckle-dusters, a knife rack and a couple of scrolls depicting the current big name bards or actors on the wall. In fact, as the Lupo butler examined a scroll featuring "Sir Frederic of Mercury," the green eyed blond was also trying his best to keep calm as he had a sinking feeling about what Luna wanted to talk to him about today.

"Yeah, I was just as surprised as him, and the whole family when he knocked down the brick manor!" the she-wolf said as she tied her hair back into a high pony tail, before sitting on the bed and pulling on a pair of fingerless leather gloves. "But, at least that part of the Lupo estate has a spring now, well, once we found where most of that house landed, anyway!"

As the two laughed a bit while Caesar sat down next to her, the two ended up falling silent as they seemed to try to think of something to say next. Though, as Caesar watched Luna's face go from cheerful to a little sorrowful, he quietly put his arm around her shoulders to provide a bit of comfort to her. He knew they were thinking the same thing, about the blood feud between them and the Reds, and what it had cost her, and by extension- himself.

"Cade, I... know you don't like talking about it but... just how did you end up with the Lupo Family?" she asked as she leaned against him, but as he looked away and clenched a fist, she saw that he wasn't ready to talk about that and sighed. "Sorry... I know I shouldn't ask, but with Uncle Ares having been the only one to know, and with him being dead... well, I worry what the others might think if they start thinking you're really one of the Reds."

"It's fine." Caesar said quietly, "I'll tell you, eventually, but... it makes my blood boil just thinking about what happened. Well, what I remember of it anyway. But, I'll tell you this Luna. I'm definitely not one of the Reds."

Luna didn't say a word, but as she looked up into Caesar's eyes, she could tell that whatever it was that had happened to him, was most likely just as terrible as her being the sole survivor of her branch of the family when the Reds arrived and massacred them all. "Who'd have thought a deal being broken with murder and slander, would lead to this?" 

"A deal?" Caesar asked in confusion, "In all the time I've been living here, I... don't think I've actually heard _why_ the Lupo family has this feud with the Reds in the first place."

"Well, from what I was raised to believe?" Luna said as she nuzzled the butler gently, "It was centuries ago, and there was this divide between the nobles and the commoners where the nobles had all the food, while everyone else had to struggle to survive. My ancestor, Minerva Lupo the original Big Bad Wolf, was just a mother trying to get food for her seven kids so they could survive. So, while working as a guide in the woods up near the Clawthorn Border since her husband was killed by elves, she was hired by the Reds' ancestor- we don't know her real name, but she's known to us as Little Red Riding Hood. In any case, Red was a noblewoman who would go off on her own to visit her grandmother in the woods, and at the insistence of her mother, wasn't allowed to take a wolf as a guide. However, due to a shortage of guides to protect her thanks to a wild boar, Minerva was the only one available at the time."

"A Lupo and a Red working together?" Caesar then said in disgust, "Now _that's_ unbelievable."

"Hey, don't interrupt, Cade! I'm trying to give you a history lesson here." Luna said, before playfully poking one of the marks on his cheeks while sticking her tongue out for a moment, "Now, the trek to the grandmother's house wasn't easy, since the old woman lived in a part of the wood that was pretty dangerous to be in unless you knew how to survive, and Red kept making Minerva's job a pain in the tail. However, when Minerva ended up saving Red from a bear, rather than just letting the girl die, Red asked Minerva why she saved her, even after she purposefully gave the wolf a hard time. Well, Minerva ended up explaining her situation about her children, and why she worked so hard to make sure they had something to eat, and so Red promised that after she was escorted safely to her Grandmother's home, and then returned safely to the city, Red would personally ensure that Minerva would have receive a large basket of food and drink to give her, and her seven cubs a feast. Well, Minerva agreed, and since Red had a debt to pay to my ancestor, she was obligated to keep her word- or so you would think."

"I assume this is where the blood feud started?" Caesar said, earning a nod from Luna as she finished the story.

"Oh yeah. After the job was done, and Minerva was given a gift from the grandmother for saving Red's life? Six years would pass, and Minerva never got what Red owed her during that time. Sure, life during those six years became less of a struggle, but as we both know, if you don't repay a debt before you're dead and buried, you won't be able to pass on until it's paid. So, when Minerva heard that Red was getting married, well, she decided to head to the girl's home and remind Red about what she promised. However... Minerva would never see her children again after that." Luna said, before her tone became rather bitter, "Minerva, as her eldest son Roland would learn, was killed by Red and her fiance- a huntsman, both of them inviting Minerva into the girl's home, promising to give her the promised basket then and there, before they drugged some wine they offered her as a sign of hospitality, and... and cut her open, filled her with stones, and... and threw her into a well to drown. Then Red had the gall to lie about why Minerva had been killed, claiming it was self defense out of fear that the she-wolf was going to try and kill her, before claiming that Minerva had left her alone on the trail, killed the girl's own grandmother, dressed up as her and tried to eat her before running away with the very gift the old woman gave my ancestor! Red hid the truth and repaid her debt in the worst way possible, and so... the blood feud began.

"And it'll keep going until the head of the Red Family hands over that promised basket to the Big Bad Wolf- enough to feed them and seven other people in a feast, as well as return the gift Minerva received from Red's Grandmother. Too bad everyone else believes the version the Red family's been telling ever since." Luna said as she finished the tale, growling at the stupidity of one woman a long time ago had caused both families in the end. Caesar however, simply hugged Luna tightly, acting as a bit of support for her since he could tell that the whole feud's backstory was pissing her off. This, he knew was the danger of not paying a debt or betraying your word once it was given in Fanterra- a cycle of tragedy that would continue for generations until the original deal was honored- or until both sides were dead. Sure, a code of conduct was instilled between both sides by Luna and Ricky's own grandfather, where neither the Lupos or Reds would attack each other on Holidays, the month before the Wedding until the end of the newlyweds' honeymoon, and most importantly, never attacking children or expectant mothers, just to limit the bloodshed as much as possible and also avoid both families being put in prison by the Ring Knights. While they had honored the periods of truce between the two families, the slaughter of Luna's part of the family, and with the recent murder of Alan Lupo was a sign that the feud needed to end as soon as possible. 

"So..." Luna then said after a while- if only to change the subject more than anything else, "When do you plan on telling Ricky about us, and ask his permission to well... court me?"

Caesar pulled away quickly then, looking very afraid as he thought about Luna's cousin, and what he'd do to him if he found out he and Luna had been more than just friends for the past year. While in the past he just feared Ricky tearing him apart, now that he had the power of the Wind Stone and showed he could use its full strength, the thought of being ripped apart _after_ being blown into a stone wall by a hurricane force gale was enough to make the man visibly sweat. 

"Er... w-well..." Caesar then said as he gulped and rubbed the back of his head, "I... I really don't know, to be honest."

Luna, however, simply gave an annoyed look to her potential boyfriend and crossed her arms, glaring at him before she finally spoke.

"Tell him tomorrow." she said, before getting up and leaving her room, Caesar knowing full well that she was quite serious about the order he just received.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" he said to himself, before leaving the room to do his duties as head butler of the Lupo Household.

~0~

"Damn, that guy was _fast!"_ Joseph said as he and Jotaro stopped their run up the stairs of the tower after the mysterious deer-man, Pietro Aifread. Mainly to catch their breath as well. "Also, I know I've got my youth back... somehow... but I am definitely _not_ used to having this handsome face of mine again. Seriously, what is with all these stairs!? Couldn't whoever built this tower install an elevator too?"

"If they did, it probably wouldn't work at the moment anyway." Jotaro said calmly as he leaned against the wall, "This tower seems pretty old, not to mention that if it did have an elevator, the thorns scattered around the place may have ended up screwing with the mechanisms as well... if they haven't rusted over or fallen apart that is."

"Yeah... and those animals caught in the thorns we saw so far, it's as if the damn things just put anything caught in them to sleep." Joseph then pointed out as he crossed his arms. "I don't think there's anything on Earth that could do that. And that Pietro guy... definitely doesn't look human."

"No kidding." Jotaro said with a frown, "I'm starting to wonder if we're even on Earth anymore."

Joseph looked up at his grandson, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "What do you mean? It's not like that... _Heirophant Black_ or whatever that was that caused this mess managed to put us in another world... right? What kind of Stand could even do such a thing?"

"Remember that it was only yesterday when we faced against DIO and his stand, which can stop time." Jotaro said, "And as I found out during the fight-"

An inhuman scream then sounded through-out the tower, sounding like an unholy fusion between nails on a chalkboard and a dying elephant being played back at high speed. Realizing quickly that it had to be Pietro, both men of the Joestar family ran as fast as they could up the stairs, partly worried there'd be trouble, and partly expecting a trap waiting for them both as well.

Instead, as they reached the top of the tower and opened the only door there, they saw Pietro on his knees as he held something golden in his hands, crying and sobbing as he failed to notice either of them enter. Though, both Joseph and Jotaro noticed the stag wasn't alone as there, surrounded by a giant, red and black briar taking up half the room was a blond woman in tattered clothes, and most of her body obscured by the thorns as her head, shoulders and half of her chest were revealed. Though, the scraps of cloth still on the woman's body were covering up her chest to give her some form of modesty, it at first seemed that if they pulled the woman from the thorns, she'd (probably) wake up. Unfortunately, as they stepped closer to the sobbing deer-man, they soon realized that the girl wasn't just caught in the thorns, but was also where they were coming from- judging by the hole in her chest that had quite a few vines coming out of it. 

"So... so this is what Hildegarde did to you one hundred and eighty-five years, two months and four days ago." Pietro sobbed as he paid no attention to the two men that had just arrived, "Maleen, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

As Joseph placed a hand on Pietro's shoulder to offer comfort, the stag flinched as he finally noticed the two men that followed him, and upon seeing Joseph's quiet look of understanding for the situation, just sniffed a bit as he didn't say a thing. Of course, as Pietro watched Jotaro stare at the thorn bound woman before summoning a purple skinned, wild haired warrior to go on and try and take the woman out, Pietro quickly got up and ran, before grabbing the warrior from behind and struggled to hold him back. 

"Don't you dare touch her!" Pietro snapped, while Joseph was surprised the stag could even touch Star Platinum as Jotaro remained silent for the moment. "I... I won't let you lay a hand on Maleen's remains!"

"She'll need a proper burial, won't she?" Jotaro said, while also filing away the bit the stag said a moment ago about how long the apparently dead woman had been there, "Why are you trying to stop us from helping with at least that?"

"Because as much as I'd want to bury her..." Pietro said as he found himself forcibly dragged along by Star Platinum, though, considering he was a foot shorter than both men and Star Platinum, it was probably obvious he'd have trouble holding the stand back... even if it should have been impossible to touch him at all. "If you hadn't noticed the slumberthorn growing on the tower by now, I fear that removing her could cause the place to collapse since from what I can tell, Maleen's corpse is holding this place together!"

Jotaro then saw as his stand stopped, Star Platinum's sense of self-preservation kicking in as he gave his user a very annoyed look before vanishing. Of course, as Pietro ended up hitting the ground after that, the stag then simply grumbled as he got up and sighed. 

"My apologies." Pietro said quietly as he looked down at a gold locket he still had in his hand the front of it also displaying a cameo of a horse's head as Jotaro noticed then, "I shouldn't have handled things that way... It's just... I've spent nearly two centuries wondering what exactly happened up here, and..."

"It's fine... Pietro, was it?" Joseph then said, patting the still teary-eyed stag on the shoulder, "I'd probably do the same in your shoes. Now, why don't we head back downstairs and you can just... tell us what exactly you meant by nearly two centuries on the way, ok?"

Pietro then nodded as he slipped the locket around his neck and began heading downstairs, this time not even running at high speed so that Jotaro and Joseph could keep up as well. 

"200 years ago..." Pietro said as a mirror then appeared over his head, showing both men what was going through the man's mind- though the stag wasn't really aware of it at the moment as he continued, "I stopped in a village to rest a bit while I was studying Botany abroad..."

**********

Looking around the rather quaint looking Tavern he stopped in to grab a meal and some water, Pietro Aifread had only taken a few steps into it when he saw the patrons seemingly try and avoid looking at something. Unfortunately, as the stag looked ahead and saw a woman in a very garish gown that had clashing patterns such as dark brown and sickly green stripes in one part, and orange spots on a purple background on another, as well as pink flamingo feathers on the collar and worst of all- wearing a cat's eyed chrysoberyl necklace. After all, wearing a stone with such a vivid chatoyance was considered a sign of bad luck from how Pietro was raised- something about a mage named for the effect trying to turn a village into obedient horses due to insanity. Sure, the mage was stopped and the converted individuals turned to normal, but sadly the de-converted were sterilized as a side effect of the counter spell.

"Hello." The woman with poor taste then said as she headed over to Pietro, while the stag could see out of the corner of his eye that the locals were giving him a look that blatantly said he was a dead man walking, "I'm Queen Hildegarde Chardonnay-White. Are you new in my domain?" 

"Well, yes." Pietro said, "I came from Deerbank a---" 

"Yes, yes, that's nice." the queen said examining her nails, "Listen up deer boy, I'm just going to ask this once: Does my dress make me look fat?" 

Blinking in surprise at the question, Pietro then looked around, the looks of panic as the tavern patrons hid away quickly while he picked up whispers of hope that the stag would lie his way out of this soon became a clear sign that he was screwed. 

"Yes?" he then said, before gulping a bit as the queen's expression became rather cold as she lost her smile and gave the stag a glare that caused him to shiver a bit. 

"I'm sorry. Are you saying that I do look fat in this?" she said darkly as Pietro started backing away from the woman. 

"N-Not just fat, but your outfit makes it look like you have no idea on what aesthetic means as it seems like a colorblind tailor's drunken fever dream turned into an outright nightmare," Pietro said, only to be frozen in place by the queen as she revealed herself to be a witch as well. 

"Why you... how the hell do I know that you're not lying your tail off!?" the queen then snapped, while also allowing the stag to speak. 

"Because I _can't_ lie, even if I wanted to!" Pietro said in fear, "I was blessed by a fae to be an honest man at my mother's request, and that means that as limited by my personal knowledge, I can only tell the truth!" 

"Well then..." the witch then said, thinking for a moment before she smirked, the look she gave filling Pietro with dread while she started casting another spell. _"As it's the truth you reflect, then a mirror you shall be. Until you break... you shall never be free."_  


**********

"... Next thing I knew, I was a mirror, and..." Pietro said before pausing as he realized he heard the witch's voice, before looking up and seeing the mirror hovering over him. "Oh. It seems there were side effects from my release. That's... going to take some getting used to."

Well, least it's helpful as a visual aid." Joseph said with a shrug, while Jotaro merely lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes in annoyance. "Though... was that really how it happened? Because seriously, that seems a little over the top just for giving the wrong answer to that question."

"Yes. That was _exactly_ how it happened." Pietro said flatly as he experimented a bit with the hovering mirror and with a shift of his finger, managed to lower it and show it to all three of them. "One of the downsides of my mixed blessing is that my memory is perfect. I can't forget anything- even though I severely wish I could for some things, and while that may seem like a wonderful thing, I unfortunately remember things I witness very clearly down to the last detail, even the most disturbing things I had to deal with as Hildegarde's magic mirror while her daughter Snow White was in hiding!"

"Snow White?" Jotaro then asked, "As in the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm? That... sounds highly unbelievable."

"F-Faerie tale!?" Pietro then said rather angrily, "That is not just a tale, but part of Fanterran history! Honestly, that story is also how the kingdom of Miravel started its golden age! And... and if Hildegarde hadn't pushed me too far by killing Maleen 15 years after she turned me into a mirror... I... I'd never have started the events that led to her death... and the second curse to hit my home town."

To demonstrate his point, the mirror then shimmered as it first showed Maleen talking to the stag as Pietro had seen the event, the golden blond young woman with green eyes looking rather nice as her maid uniform wasn't in tatters, before Hildegarde entered the room and upon seeing the maid chatting it up with the former mirror about what they could do once he was free, she grabbed the maid by the hair and started dragging the girl up the stairs as Maleen screamed as Pietro cried out and banged his hands against the glass making up his prison. Then, the image changed to Hildegarde coming back down alone and preparing the poisoned apple that'd put Snow White herself to sleep.

After showing the prince being told where to find the sleeping princess during the night, a servant stumbling and awakening the princess after the bit of apple that had been trapped in her throat was coughed up involuntarily, and Hildegarde being forced to wear red-hot iron shoes, before she teleported away, the stag's expression saddened. Especially when the mirror then showed a deer girl with pale blond hair and ice blue eyes like Pietro, holding a wedding gown before she suddenly turned to stone. As Pietro's voice rang out in fear as a series of images showing more statues whereever he could use a reflection to look in on them, the mirror finally just showed the three men in the tower, the stag ending the memories then and there.

"Sorry... I didn't wish to lose my temper there." Pietro said quietly as he clenched his hand into a fist, showing that just as he couldn't lie verbally, he couldn't hide his emotions as well. As neither Joseph and Jotaro said anything, as they were unsure what to think for the moment, the trio then continued downstairs, the mirror remaining where it was for now. As they walked though, Jotaro slid his hands into his pants pockets, thinking about how Pietro could actually interact with the stand, while also believing he was involved in a fairy tale. Despite the stag claiming he was unable to lie so far, the high-schooler felt like he'd be unable to trust the stag. Not to mention that normally, people couldn't try and hold back a stand on their own, but could be held back by one instead. 

"So, how did you manage to touch my Stand?" Jotaro then asked, testing something as Pietro stopped and looked at the young man in confusion.

"Stand? I thought it was just a familiar you summoned." Pietro said, "I mean, considering the mark I saw on your hand when you summoned it, I thought you were just a more athletic than normal mage."

"Mark?" Jotaro said, before pulling his hands out and examining them. While finding nothing on his palms, after turning them over, he saw on that on the back of his right hand was a mark that looked like a sword in front of a simple helmet. "Never seen this before."

"So... neither of you are mages, are you?" Pietro asked, as Joseph took his right glove off- and also spotting a mark on the back of it as well, though his mark looked more like a domino mask than anything else. 

"Nope. Magic doesn't really exist where we're from. Well... in the sense of being turned into a mirror." Joseph said with a shrug, "And you didn't slap these on us either, right?"

"Of course not!" Pietro said in surprise, "I couldn't even leave that damn mirror until you broke me apart... also, I'm surprised your left hand isn't even bleeding, considering you punched my prison with it. Though I haven't smelled anything in 200 years, so I may need time to readjust to that."

After Joseph showed how clean his left glove was, he then pulled it off to show his prosthetic hand, the stag's eyes widening as he saw how the metal limb seemed to move so easily, and didn't tick at all.

"I didn't get a good look at it when you were examining it while I was still in the mirror..." Pietro admitted, "But, if you two didn't smell otherworldly, or just appeared in a flash of light in your odd clothes, I would have thought that hand was made out of Golemian Clockwork... well if it ticked."

"Can we just get back to figuring out how you touched my stand?" Jotaro then said in annoyance as he tried to keep the conversation going off on a tangent while he kept going downstairs and reached the ground floor.

"You two still haven't told me what a Stand is." Pietro said while Joseph brought up the rear as he pulled his gloves back on. 

"Well, a Stand is a newly discovered phenomenon where we're from." Joseph said, "Think of them as a guardian formed from a combination of willpower and fighting spirit that can do some strange things, and as far as I know, no two stands are really the exact same thing. Hell, Jotaro's own stand, Star Platinum, has super strength, speed, senses, precision, a sense of self-preservation and can stop time!"

"And do you have a stand as well, er..." Pietro then said, before giving a nervous chuckle out of embarrassment as Jotaro picked up a piece of one of the broken antlers off the floor and slipped it into his pocket while the stag wasn't looking. "Oh, do forgive me. While I was still in the mirror, I overheard you call Jotaro by name, but I never heard yours."

"Joseph Joestar." The brunette said with a grin, "Anyway, my Stand, Hermit Purple lets me gather information either by smashing a camera for a 'spirit photo' of whoever I'm looking for at the moment, or using a TV to contact them, read minds or even learn some other information on my own as my stand flips channels to give me a message related to what I want to know. I can also use it to make a map on a dirt road, or as a way to channel Hamon in order to protect myself. Though, I personally enjoy using it as a grappling hook, really helps when running away or getting through a crowded room quickly."

"So, it's not a person like Star Platinum?" Pietro asked, while Jotaro walked over to the large hole in the wall and looked down the cliff below for the second time that day. "What does it look like then? Also, what's a camera, a photo, or TV?"

"You can answer him after we get out of here." Jotaro then said before Joseph could answer and show off. "Right now, we need to figure out how to leave without potentially killing ourselves on the way down."

Pietro and Joseph then joined Jotaro at the wall, and as both looked down, Joseph seemed to have a pretty good idea on what to do, before looking at Pietro with a smirk.

"Pietro?" the brunette then asked, getting the stag's attention, "You're next line's going to be, 'Perhaps I can help Jotaro down rather easily!'"

"How do you know what I'm about to say?" Pietro asked in confusion as he unintentionally ruined the joke. "I thought you needed a 'Tee Vee' in order to read minds?"

"Simple," Joseph said with a shrug in spite of the trick failing while Jotaro let out an annoyed groan, "Because you can't seem to lie your way out of a wet paper bag, the expression you had just screamed you had an idea."

"Well yes, but I just hope Jotaro doesn't mind." Pietro said with a small smile. 

"As long as we get a move on, I don't care." Jotaro said dryly, only to flinch slightly as Pietro actually managed to pick the larger teen up in a bridal carry, moved as far as he could from the hole in the wall while Joseph moved out of the way, and with both the heavier man in his arms and his large backpack on his shoulders, Pietro then charged straight for the hole, appearing as if he was just going to drop down as he did so. Instead...

_BOING!_

Pietro had managed to jump just at the right moment, his reflexes being just like a deer's as he managed to barely bypass the slumberthorn hanging slightly from the edge of the wall, before landing safely on the ground and setting Jotaro down on his feet. As he looked back up the ten foot drop towards Joseph, the stag then shouted towards the brunette, "Need me to jump back up and get you, Joseph?"

"Nope! I've got my own way down!" Joseph shouted back before he summoned the purple, thorny vines of his own stand, and after grabbing the ledge used it to rappel himself to the ground. Once he was done, Pietro soon squealed in delight as he leaned in a bit, examining the stand as his tail wriggled about in geeky joy, and he even started squeaking a bit like a deer- even if it wasn't normal for a human to make noises like that in the first place.

"Oh my, this 'Stand' of yours is certainly interesting to look at!" he said quickly, while Joseph wasn't sure how to feel about the plant loving geek "If you hadn't explained them to me, I'd have assumed it was some sort of symbiotic magical plant you controlled with your will! I hope it isn't painful coming out of your hands, but if my journal wasn't filled up, I'd have started sketching and making notes on it immediately! Hopefully once we reach town I can buy a new one, and also get some supplies for all three of us for the road if we're going to try and figure out how you two are going to return to your own world!"

"Wait." Jotaro said getting his two companions' attention, "Why would you help us get home?"

"Well, because I owe you both a debt for releasing me from the mirror." Pietro said as if it was obvious, "And since in Fanterra, an unpaid debt before you're buried means you can't pass on until all debts are paid, I must help you how ever I can to clear it. Not to mention not doing so, or worse, repaying someone back with a betrayal of some kind can have terrible consequences, I feel that it's best that I help you two get home, to the best of my ability."

Joseph and Jotaro then looked to each other in silence, the two men of the Joestar family unsure what to even think about the offer as they looked back towards Pietro for a moment.

"Well, he is the best chance we have at the moment." Joseph said, "I mean, with that whole perfect memory thing, he could be a useful guide around this place, right?"

"And how do we know he won't be more trouble than it's worth?" Jotaro said before turning towards Pietro and speaking to him directly, "You swear that you won't do anything that'll bite us in the ass later?"

"I cannot lie, even if I wanted to." Pietro said sadly, "So, I am afraid I can't promise you that, as I don't know what we may encounter on the road ahead. I've been used mainly as a tool for scrying the present or advising Snow White's descendants in Miravel, but I can't foresee the future or view the past of something I wasn't even a witness to in the past 200 years, or anything before my imprisonment that I wasn't there for in the first place. I can do my best to avoid trouble where I can, but as I can't tell when someone is lying to me about something I don't have prior knowledge about, I may still end up getting into trouble, and unwillingly drag you both into it as well, especially since I'm not really someone who can actually fight. Yes, I'm strong for a human, but I'm a pacifist and a coward who's more likely to run away than actually fight back. I'll understand if you won't trust me after this, but I still plan on helping you both and repay my debt."

"You're human?" Joseph then asked in disbelief, "Uh... you certainly don't---"

"I'm aware." Pietro said in annoyance, "My parents are human, but due to a wizard, my father spent time as a full stag before he killed the vile magician... followed by kidnapping my future uncle to help my aunt and the rest of Deerbank during its first curse, but he did turn back to normal before meeting and marrying my mother. As a result, my sister Stella and I are both part deer due to some residual magic from that spell and because of the pointed ears, we're considered 'Bestial Elves.' Unfortunately, if we come across _actual_ elves, they'll most likely want me dead due to the elf part out of sheer pettiness, and will end up treating me like an animal to the point they'll also send hunting dogs after me. Again."

"Give me a fucking break..." Jotaro said under his breath, though judging by how Pietro flinched, he could tell the deer man heard him clearly, "Since we don't have any other option, we're stuck with each other, so let's get going before we spend the whole day out here."

"Alright." Pietro said as he started walking along, "This road will lead us to the town of Gem Hill, a mining town that's on the border between Miravel and the Desert Kingdom of Scherezade. Once we get there, I suggest we do what we can to get supplies, and information we might be able to use to figure out where we need to go before anything else.... though, while I saw you both appear in a flash of light, I don't really know how either of you arrived in Fanterra in the first place."

"Well, our world is called Earth." Joseph said, before talking about the events that led to their arrival. As Pietro listened carefully, Jotaro was keeping an eye on the road ahead, going over in his own mind about what he learned so far about this new world, and recording them in a small notebook he used while forced to do whatever a certain scumbag wanted while his grandfather was in a very interesting hostage situation.

``

`
  * Magic, it seems is not only possible, but can do things as strange as some Stands we encountered on our mission to destroy DIO- ranging from turning people into objects or animals, or something else. 
    * By extension, intentionally stopping time is impossible, or at least unheard of.
    * Magic has also caused the existence of a sub-race of humans that are part animal, but for a stupid reason, are considered 'elves' which piss off the actual ones.
    * Joseph also became younger- DIO's blood or magic in this world?
    * Residual magic apparently means it's leftover on someone that was cursed- can cause strange things to happen like Bestial Elves and possibly Pietro's own powers.
` `
    * This world has an understanding of science, or at least Botany, as far back as 200 years ago.
    * Fanterra seems to have its history based in Fairy Tales.
      * Pietro himself seems to have been involved in Snow White as the Magic Mirror, while his father might have been involved in another story altogether.
      * Stands can be seen and touched by non-Stand Users in Fanterra. 
      * Possibly due to magic?
``
      * Pietro Aifread: 
      * Claims to be unable to lie.
      * Visibly unable to hide his emotions.
      * Also claims to have been stuck as a mirror for 200 years, while Maleen at the top of the tower was dead for 185. 
        * Maleen's corpse looks very fresh- possible effect of 'slumberthorn?'
        * Can produce mirrors out of thin air- side effect of his imprisonment? 
          * Can also use mirrors to display his thoughts and memories.
          * Has super speed, and is at least able to hold both me, and his backpack eas--
`

A sudden noise had then caused Jotaro to stop writing, and as he listened, saw some bushes on the side of the road start to rustle as if something was about to attack.

"...So anyway, while we were walking through the airport, we suddenly noticed that time had st--" Joseph had said before he was interrupted by a bark as suddenly, something darted out of the bushes and ended up pushing Pietro to the ground. As both men looked down however, they saw it was some sort of wolf-like creature the size of a Saint Bernard with blue scaly, clawed forelegs instead of furry paws, a scaled underbelly, a long, knotted tail that resembled a lion's waving around, a pair of large, pointed ears, thick brown fur on the rest its body and finally a long pointed tongue that was currently being used to lick Pietro's face. It was also carrying a saddle bag of all things, that was hanging off its side, and it also had a small gold anklet around it's left fore-claw, or what was left of one anyway.

"Okay, okay! Calm down!" Pietro said as he laughed while also trying to push the mutant dog off of him, "I don't know who you are... but you can get off me, okay boy?"

"Well. Guess someone lost their dog... at least, I think it's a dog..." Joseph said before Jotaro knelt down and just picked the beast up to let the deer man up on his own. Of course, as this resulted in Jotaro also getting his face licked in response, it was clear that whatever it was, it seemed friendly.

"Oh are you kidding me!?" a small, kind of annoying sounding voice then said, "You stupid Alphyn, you had that damn deer in your claws, and then you go on and lick some big oaf! Seriously, two centuries and 37 damn alphyns, and THIS is what ends up leading me to that stupid prince!?"

"Oh no..." Pietro groaned "Why didn't she get turned to stone too?"

"Old friend?" Joseph said, before doing a double take, "Wait, you're a prince? I thought you said you were a botanist! Why didn't you tell us you were royalty!?"

"My father's a Duke, I can be both a prince and a botanist, and you never asked." Pietro said flatly towards Joseph, "And 'friend' is definitely not what I would call the owner of that voice on any kind of day. Bully is more like it."

"So... where is she?" Joseph said, only to be kicked in the head by a 6 inch tall woman with four blue wings, and an outfit that brought to mind a periwinkle flower: a sleeveless dress with a skirt looking like it was made out of five petals, a star on her navel and back, and even a little hat that was tilted to the side. Her feet were bare, and as the pale blue haired, and green eyed, tiny person crossed her arms, it was clear she seemed very irritable about something. Especially in the way she glared at Jotaro.

"Damn bitch..." Joseph said before reaching out to grab the little faerie, only for her to fly out of the way and laugh at the brunette.

"Now, now, that's just insulting to compare Peri Winks to a female dog." Pietro said dryly, "She's a faerie, so if she's not in Deerbank, there had to be a reason I suppose?"

"Of course I have a reason, Prince Starbutt!~" the faerie said causing Pietro to blush from embarrassment, "Before he got turned to stone, Oberon Ghostwing sent me on one final task before I can start living in exile from the colony- I deliver what's in the dumb mutt's bag to you, and only you, and I'm free to do whatever I want."

"Well, let's see what this Oberon guy is giving Pietro." Jotaro asked, before setting the Alphyn down and opening it up. Raising an eyebrow as he noticed that it was bigger on the inside, he then pulled out a sack with a stick, a small collapsible table, and a statuette of a golden donkey. Along with a sealed letter addressed to Pietro that was a little yellowed with age- the pink wax seal itself depicting a very stylized "G" with a rose. Unfortunately, when he tried to open it, the letter remained sealed, and caused the teen to raise an eyebrow.

"Sorry, one of Salvador- Oberon Ghostwing's security measures for his messages." Pietro said before taking the letter meant for him and opening it easily, "Only opens for who it's meant for, and no one else."

"Yeah, yeah." the faerie said while being glared at by both of Pietro's companions, "Just hurry up and read it so I can end this stupid geas on me already!"

"Patience, Peri." Pietro said, apparently enjoying the moment as he read in silence, though, Jotaro and Joseph did look over the deerman's shoulder to read as well.

_Dear Pietro,_

_If you are reading this, then I hope you are finally out of that accursed mirror! I'm glad you were able to contact me and your family to explain the situation, and while we do miss you, I know that if you missed the wedding, it was due to bad luck, and so no one will punish you for being late. As part of what I feel must be given to the bride's family- especially to my former student and my beloved godson, I have banished Peri and given her one last task to perform as part of the colony: She is to deliver to you, and only you, the following three gifts:_

_First, a table that once told to "Set thyself" will cover itself with the proper kind of meal related to the time of day it's used: Breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner in the evening... and dessert upon request. I've made sure it had no alcoholic drinks on its menu- I know how even a watered down drop of the weakest of wines can affect you, as well as not having any deer venison available. For obvious reasons. Instead, any dishes that require deer venison will have beef as a substitute. Once you've had your fill, simply tell the table to "Clean thyself" and the food will disappear._

_Second, is a golden donkey statuette. I know money can be hard to come by at times, but with this, you shouldn't have to worry too much about funds ever again. Unless a bandit comes along, but let's not think too much on that. In any case, just place the statuette on a bit of cloth to use as a sack, say "Bricklebrit" and it will produce real gold coins to use until you say the word again, or until the sack is full. Either or._

_Finally, I sent you a stick in a sack. Yes, I'm aware that it's a strange gift, but as the sack isn't enchanted, the stick however is. I know you hate fighting, but if you're in trouble and say "Stick out of the sack" then the stick will fly out and attack the offending party for you!~ Never again will you need to worry about Elven hunting parties going after you for kicks! Anyway, once you feel they've had enough, just say "Stick back in the sack" and the attack will end._

_Pietro, while I watched you and your little sister grow up, I enjoyed being your mentor and godfather. But, now, I look forward to calling you more than just my beloved godson and favorite student, and begin calling you my dear brother... apologies for the pun. I admit, I never thought I'd fall for your sister, but ten years after you've been imprisoned, I was injured and your sister was the one to heal me. I realized then that the girl who was only a ten year old child when you left Deerbank to study abroad had grown up into a beautiful woman of twenty. I didn't know what was wrong with me at first, until an old friend of mine paid me a visit and told me that I was in love, and as I soon learned after I confessed, your sister, Stella loved me in return._

_Know that not once did I use any magic to steal her heart away as a faerie would normally do. No, I earned her love without the aid of enchantments, and while it was difficult, it was very much worth it when she agreed to be my bride, and even more worth it that your father, my good friend Duke Tristan and his sister Cassandra approved of my wish to court her. I know full well that you want your sister with someone you both know and trust, and that you considered me family already... and so, I have full hope you will welcome me as your brother if and when you return._

_Much Love and Well Wishes,_  
_Oberon Salvador Spectralis Ghostwing._  


_P.S.  
Hello, big brother, this is your sister Stella just adding a little message of my own: I hope you're doing well, and I can't wait to see you again once you're finally free! Even if I become a fae myself after the wedding, and have children of my own, I'll always wait for as long as I have to, before welcoming you home with open arms. Good luck Pietro, and may you find happiness of your own!_

As Pietro continued to read, both Joseph and Jotaro saw tears well up in his eyes and roll down his cheeks in spite of his smile. As they, and the faerie acting as messenger no-doubt knew, before the wedding could come to pass, Pietro's home town had been cursed with its denizens turning to stone. Except of course, for Peri apparently. Though, as Pietro finished reading the letter and looked up to the faerie, all three of them could see that the faerie wasn't ready to give her sympathies to what had happened. In fact, by the way she was smirking, she was about to cause some trouble.

"Oh it's about time!~" the faerie said before she gave an exaggerated shrug and continued, "Two hundred years is much too long to sit around just to deliver a bunch of junk. Hell, they wouldn't even work when I tried to use them for myself. So, I guess I'll have to punish you, Starbutt."

"Oh no." Pietro said, the grown man cowering like a little boy towards his former bully again, "Please Peri, don't do this! Imagine what Salvador would think of you attacking me- for a petty reason, no less!"

**_"Petty!?"_** Peri snapped, before laughing and flying quickly out of Jotaro's reach when he tried to grab her, "You think I'm getting payback on you just for how long it took to get that crap to you? Oh _Puh-lease!_ That glass-winged, love struck idiot of an Oberon _banished_ me because I decided to make him see the light about marrying an animal when I tried to kill your stupid healer of a sister. So, if I make you suffer, I also make the happy couple suffer... well, if they ever get turned back to normal. Though, I do hope Stella gets smashed to pieces!"

As the faerie then began to laugh rather evilly, all three men glared at the faerie as she began summoning a small glittering ball of dust to her hand as she then added, "Now then, let's start by cursing your two dumb looking friends with bad luck! And it'll be all your fault, Starbutt, so I will enjoy them blaming you for their troubles! Especially that brown haired doofus you seem soooo friendly with!"

Peri then threw the glittering fastball of magic at Joseph, Pietro quickly moved in the way, willing to take the curse in the man's stead as he braced himself for impact. 

However, what happened instead was the ball not even exploding upon hitting the deerman, and as he and the two Earthlings watched, the magic simply bounced off of Pietro's body and hit the faerie instead.

"Hey! You can't do that!" Peri said as she coughed the dust up, "You cheater, how the hell did you deflect my magic!? You're not a mage!"

"Maybe not, but..." Pietro then said, "I _was_ a mirror. And if I'm correct... you just got hit with your own bad luck curse!"

"Uh oh." Peri said and was about to flee when suddenly, a brick fell from the sky and sent the faerie off course as she hit a tree nearby with a scream. Then, the Alphyn ran after the faerie, an angry look in its eye as fire began to gather in its mouth before stopping and looking at Jotaro for a moment as the beast seemingly asked the man for help. Giving the beast a nod, Jotaro then summoned Star Platinum to his side, and all three ran towards the fallen faerie who was now trying to get back up despite a torn up wing driving her flight path wonky.

"So... you think you could get away with murder?" Jotaro said, cracking his knuckles as he loomed over the faerie, while Star Platinum did the same with an evil grin, "Since your old boss isn't around, I guess it's up to us to judge you for your crimes."

With that said, Stand and user then started pummeling the faerie, and as she managed to slip away, she'd be hit by a fireball from the Alphyn to knock her back to the ground until nothing was left but a broken mess of a faerie twitching on the ground with torn up wings. As Jotaro dismissed his stand and walked back to Joseph and Pietro, he calmly pat the Alphyn's head as a reward for his good work, the draconic dog happily returning the favor by licking the young man's cheek with it's ridiculously long tongue. Though, as they saw Pietro looking over the fallen brick carefully, Jotaro then heard his grandfather speak.

"Wonder where that brick came from?" he said, while Pietro looked up and showed that it had a carving on one side of it that looked sort of like a "PJA."

"Ringaia, specifically a brick manor on the outskirts of that kingdom's capital city, Bella Aquae." the stag said with a nervous chuckle, "My sister dared me to carve my initials on a brick when I was 13, before our mother died... and well, I ended up doing it and running away before the Lupo family caught me. I guess someone in that family took on the title of Big Bad Wolf and managed to knock it down. That's the only explanation I have for how this managed to fly from the coast to here."

"Wow. That is some _bad luck._ " Joseph said, before slapping Pietro on the back with a grin, "Glad you managed to save me from getting hit by it thanks to that curse instead!"

"Good job." Jotaro said while Pietro chuckled nervously again, while the Alphyn happily jumped on the stag again and licked his face- with Joseph helping the stag stay on his feet this time as well- though both of them did get draconic puppy kisses as a result. 

"Haha, looks like we already got a new addition to the group too!" Joseph then said, "Since I don't think Peri named him... what do we call this... whatever it is?"

"Well, it's an alphyn- a draconic wolf normally used to detect noble bloodlines, which usually make them very picky about who they even allowed to touch them. However, it seems this one is friendlier than others of its kind, so I assume it might be detecting a noble spirit rather than bloodline." Pietro explained, "As for a name... well, why not Alphonse?"

"Don't care. Call it what you want." Jotaro said as he put everything back in Alphonse's bag before he got moving again along with the rest of the newly formed quartet. 

"Come on, Alphonse!" Joseph said, the alphyn barking happily as it followed after the big man. Though, as the two men realized that Pietro was starting to drag himself along, both stopped and looked at him in worry before he ended up collapsing on the ground. At first, Joseph seemed worried that the stag had ended up getting killed somehow, only to give a sigh of relief when he heard the deer man begin to snore softly.

"Wow, all that and he just now falls asleep?" Joseph then said as he moved to pick him up, only to let out a groan. "Oh goddammit, his backpack's heavy as shit! Jotaro, think you can have your stand handle the guy's bag while I carry the hero of the hour?"

"Yeah, whatever..." Jotaro said as he did as was asked, and only silently assumed that if Pietro hadn't slept in 200 years, this was probably exhaustion finally catching up to him. Though as he, his grandfather and their new friend walked along with the sleeping deer, one thought did come across Jotaro's mind.

_This, is going to be a long trip, isn't it? Give me a fucking break..._




**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this certainly got interesting for our two Jojo, didn't it? Anyway, let's talk trivia for this chapter!
> 
> 1\. Chapter title comes from the Mystery Skulls song, Magic.
> 
> 2\. While you guys, the readers get to learn about bestial elves twice, I felt it was necessary since well, Veronica, Jotaro and Joseph are no where near each other at the moment, and also can't really share info about the world with each other. Yet.
> 
> 3.Originally, Peri would have been defeated by Alphonse assisting Star Platinum by giving the stand flaming fists. I decided against it because that'd probably still hurt Jotaro due to the fact Alphonse creates actual fire instead of mystical non-burning fire.
> 
> 4\. The brick that hit Peri as her bad luck started? Originally, it was going to hit Jotaro before he and Joseph reached the room where Maleen's corpse was located, with Star Platinum catching it. Then I realized that this might be a bad idea, so I ended up pulling a flying brick joke on Peri. I mean, why else would I mention a specific brick coming loose during Ricky's attempt to destroy the brick house, if I wasn't going to do a payoff later?
> 
> 5.Pietro picking up the larger Jotaro without a problem, while carrying a heavy backpack before leaving the tower was more of a rule of funny thing. Though in hindsight, this may show just how strong the skinny little guy actually is, as well as hint to how fast he may be able to go without the thing if Joseph was having trouble lifting it in his younger body.
> 
> 6\. Pietro was 18 when he left home, and traveled for 2 years before getting turned into a mirror. So, since she was 10 when she left, she'd have been born around the time Pietro was 7 1/2 to 8 years old. And because of how I realized this, I had to edit how old Pietro was when he carved his initials into that brick, because a 1-2 year old daring a nine year old would be too weird, but a 5-6 year old daring a 13 year old might make a lot more sense. Also, the reason Salvador fell in love with Stella when she was 20 instead of 15, which might be normal for a world that's got as advanced tech-wise as perhaps the Italian Rennaisance + Clockwork technology? I wanted to avoid pedophilia advocacy accusations.
> 
> 7.Originally, Joseph would have given a more detailed explanation of stands, followed by Pietro theorizing the differences between the two worlds while a second mirror popped up over his head that displayed more visual aids, such as an animated diagram of "Egypt" (due to him thinking at the time that was the name of Joseph and Jotaro's world) where he tripped and passed through Star Platinum and falling flat on his face, while in a similiar scenario for "Fanterra" he'd just land against the Stand instead, followed by visuals accompanying an explanation about how time slowing down or a person being put into a more of temporal stasis to keep from aging as a side effect of some spells, and as far as he was aware, there weren't any actual spells that could well, stop time. This was then followed by Joseph showing Hermit Purple, Pietro squeaking and geeking out as he pulled out a journal and took notes- and also showing how realistic his sketches looked, before the group left the tower.
> 
> Sadly, that part of the draft didn't save over on SB, and I had to re-write the scene as it ended up in the posted chapter starting from where Joseph started talking about Stands.
> 
> 9.Yes. The whole Lupo/Red feud started due to the story of Little Red Riding Hood- and a basket of goodies, with the story we know being a bunch of lies and slander against the wolves, while the Lupo's side is the "real" story. I also wrote it like that in-chapter due to needing something to illustrate why debts being repaid honorably is important in Fanterra. As for what the gift given to Minerva Lupo might have been? That, I'll leave up to you guys to guess, but I'll say this: It ain't the Wind Stone.
> 
> 10\. Salvador's letter to Pietro was in-story written as a sort of "We hope to see you soon, and look forward to you coming home safely" message of heartwarming fluff. Unfortunately, since Salvador, Stella Aifread and the rest of Deerbank's citizens and Salvador's fae colony are currently a bunch of statues with Hildegarde's remains, well... it turned into a tearjerker for Pietro. Seeing how Stella was alive when she was turned to stone, and Peri was sent on her final task before that happened, well, it's quite clear that Peri failed in her attempted murder. 
> 
> 11\. Finally, I slipped in a jab at a rather infamous MLP fic writer, won't say where.
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune!: Preparations are made, villains are seen, and the two Jojos get some surprises...


	4. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ricky Lupo, his bodyguard Wamu and Veronica prepare to travel, while Joseph and Jotaro make their way to the nearest town. However, the villains of this tale also discuss their plans...

"Okay, let's get this business started." Ricky Lupo said while sitting down in the meeting hall of his manor, accompanied by Luna, Wamu, Caesar and Matida seated closest to him at the long table in the center of the room, while the heads of the six remaining branches of the Lupo Family sat along the sides and Wallace sitting as far from Ricky as possible while his bandaged up face showed his broken nose was slowly healing. While the other five heads of the Lupo Family were older than Ricky- the eldest being about 70 and requiring aid from his own daughter to sit down and stand, the newly instated Big Bad Wolf could see that this meeting was going to get interesting once he announced his plans.  
  
"First- Cousin Marty, since you're branch is descended from Siruis Lupo- Minerva's second born, your branch handles the legal bits. So, what's the status on Allu's will?" Rick asked a middle aged wolf with glasses, graying brown hair and blue eyes who was seated right next to Luna. As he refused to use the shortened version- Malu due to there being more than one in the room, the lawyer of the family nodded as he stood up and dusted off his gray doublet and adjusted his scarf and glasses before pulling out a few documents.  
  
"Alan's will states that if he died, then in the event that you, his brother were to successfully take over the family as the Big Bad Wolf- you are requested to continue dealing with the Red family to try and end the blood feud as both of you, as well as your father, had been trying to do for decades." Marty then said with a bit of disdain in his voice in regards to the idea of even _speaking_ to their rivals, "Also, his wife- or rather, fiance in this case, is to get 700 gold pieces, however as they had never gotten to the wedding due to... circumstances... the 700 gold pieces is to be give to her along with the return of her dowry of 8,000 gold pieces."  
  
As Marty then adjusted his glasses just a bit, he, along with the other heads of the Lupo Family looked to Ricky as if they were expecting something to happen as the lawyer continued, "Unfortunately, as it took a very long time to even start a truce with the Nero family, returning the dowry- even with interest will be seen as a grave insult and may start another feud that we all know we do not need right now."  
  
As everyone else in the room nodded in agreement, Ricky had his elbows on the table while he leaned forward and steepled his fingers together as he gazed straight ahead, deep in thought as he processed this bit of information.  
  
"So, what our are options to avoid that particular problem?" the Big Bad Wolf then asked calmly, while watching the others carefully.  
  
"Well, the best solution is--" Marty began, only to be interrupted by the head of the entire family.  
  
"I didn't ask for the _best solution_ , Marty." Ricky said coldly, "I asked for _options."_  
  
"Yes, sorry." Marty said quietly before clearing his throat, the light also reflecting off of his glasses in just the right way to obscure his eyes as he continued, "Our... _options_ are to either return the money with interest while explaining why to the Nero family, or... continue our arrangement between us and them and have Matilda marry the Big Bad Wolf. Richard, you must remember that while the Lupos are on the payroll of the Cacciatori family while also connected to the criminal Underworld of the city, the Neroes have a much higher ranking among the nobility. You may be a Lord, but Matilda's father is a Marquis, and thus, higher on the social ladder."  
  
Ricky merely remained silent, thinking about the two options at hand: On one hand, he'd do the honorable thing for his brother and let his fiance go home with an explanation of why the deal was off- despite risking another feud in the process. On the other, he'd have to keep the deal going, but be stuck in a marriage he didn't really want. Sure, the blond was a nice girl, but she wasn't exactly Ricky's type. Though, as he looked at the woman in question, he noticed that she seemed to have something on her mind, and so he decided to do something he knew full well his older relatives wouldn't like much.  
  
He'd let an outsider give their opinion.  
  
"So Mane." Ricky said to his late brother's fiance, only to get a confused look from her. Sighing, he then corrected himself before he continued. "Fine, _Matilda._ Something bothering you?"  
  
Matilda flinched a bit, before looking away a bit sadly. "No... i-it's nothing."  
  
"Don't lie to me." Ricky then said, "As the representative of the Nero Family still here, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this."  
  
As the elders of the Lupo Family were about to voice their distaste with the choice, a quick glare from Ricky quickly silenced them. As Matilda gave a silent look of thanks towards the wolf though, she then spoke.  
  
"I... I think it might be best to go through with the wedding." she said, though Ricky himself could tell she didn't believe that to be the right choice.  
  
"Why?" Ricky asked, "Out of duty to your family, or because you think my brother might have wanted this?"  
  
When Matilda didn't answer though, he sighed and placed his hat on the table, before running his fingers through his long, dark silver hair. "Personally, I'd rather not go through with it. You're a nice girl Matilda, sure, but while I considered you a sister already while Allu was alive... I know that I only considered you that- _a sister._ Not a person I'd want to marry under any circumstance, and well... I know family is important, but honestly? I just can't marry you if it means disrespecting my brother's memory by stealing his girl."  
  
"What?" Matilda said in surprise, "But Ricky, don't you want this deal to go through between our families?"  
  
"Yes, but business working out doesn't mean anything if we're in a marriage neither of us want." Ricky said, "Now, I could tell that both you and my brother loved each other a lot, so I want you to answer me this- not with what you're expected to say, but what you _want_ to say yourself: _Would Allu have wanted you to do this, if it didn't make you happy?"_  
  
Matilda said nothing as she shook her head, causing Ricky to smile in understanding as he took a bit of paper and after dipping a pen in an inkwell, started writing something down on it before handing it to her. "Alright then. I want you to head to my chambers, and use this on the safe in there. I've been saving up my pay from the Cacciatori Family for six years in exchange for the work I've been doing as an informant, and since they pay me about... 1,200 a month, I've managed to personally get myself a current total of 86,000 gold pieces to use on a rainy day. So... I want you to take about... 10,000 from that, since that will not only account for the 8,000 for the return of your dowry along with 700 for what my brother would have left you with, and finally the remaining 1,300 is for yourself to spend on as you see fit- as a parting gift."  
  
"Th-Thank you." Matilda said, "But, how do you know I won't take more than that?"  
  
"Wamu will go with you, to make sure you don't take more than the 10,000." Ricky said with a gentle smile, "Also, after you've gotten that taken care of, take everything you brought here with you, along with any gifts my brother got you during your stay, and pack it up. I want you to explain to your father personally why I decided to break the engagement- not out of spite, but out of pure respect for my brother's fiance- who isn't just some duty bound house-dog, but a wonderful woman who was well loved by Alan Romulus Lupo. I ain't taking someone my brother loved as my wife, it'd be a dishonest thing to do not just to you, but to the deceased as well, alright?"  
  
"Thank you." Matilda said, and once dismissed left the room with Ricky's bodyguard while Marty and the other elder Lupos seemed rather guilty about considering the marriage option. Once she was gone though, Ricky then cleared his throat and spoke again.  
  
"Now then, two more things I'm going to announce before ending this meeting." he said, "First, Miss Veronica Zeppeli is to be treated as a guest and not be threatened or mistreated while she is here. Wamu and I have made damn sure she wasn't a spy for the Reds, and so... if any of you idiots try anything you have to deal with me, understand?"  
  
The elders nodded, knowing that Ricky's power was not to be trifled with after what they had witnessed only yesterday. "Good. Now, the other thing is that once Wamu and I go hunting for Allu's killer... Luna Lupo is to act as the temporary Big Bad Wolf until I return. And I'm assigning Caesar Demonia as her bodyguard."  
  
" _What?"_ Everyone else in the room then said, especially Caesar as the young butler showed a look that could best be described as questioning his boss's sanity at the moment.  
  
"You heard me." Ricky said, "And if anyone hurts Luna while I'm gone... I'm going to kill them, understand?"  
  
No one said anything to object against Ricky in regards to that threat and the for the rest of the meeting, the Big Bad Wolf simply focused on getting his affairs in order for what he felt was best for the family in the long run. Sure, some of his ideas were argued against by the older relatives that were present but he did manage to reach a few compromises, and showed that Ricky had a good nose for business from how calm he was throughout the rest of the meeting. Though, for Luna and Caesar, it was kind of weird to hear Ricky not use his usual nicknames for most of the thing. 

~0~

A couple of hours later, the meeting had ended and Caesar himself stood outside the door to Ricky's new office. The blond was nervous, and for good reason too, since he was going to tell the man he wanted to court Luna and eventually marry her. Though, while he hesitated before he prepared to knock, various thoughts went through his head about how the scenario would play out. Most of them ending with his death either by Ricky Lupo tearing him apart with his claws, using him for target practice with a hand-held, self-loading crossbow, or simply defenestrating the butler out the window and into a manure cart that might be out in the street at the moment.  
  
Considering the fact that the office was on the manor's third story, Caesar would honestly prefer his body crashing in bull shit, than just hitting the hard, stone street and turning into a mess.  
  
_"Well, if I'm going to die, might as well go out like a man..."_ he thought to himself, before finally knocking on the door.  
  
"Come in." Ricky's voice said on the other side, and as Caesar opened it, the butler was surprised to see Ricky actually doing a bit of paper work at his desk, instead of goofing off like the young man half-expected him to do so. Of course, as the wolf looked up at the family butler, he did look surprised as he continued, "Oh Cade. Something I can help you with?"  
  
"Please call me Caesar like you did in the meeting. You're the head of the family now, you shouldn't be using these childish nicknames." Caesar began with a sigh.  
  
"Hey, what I do outside of the meeting room's my business, Cade." Ricky said,"Now, I can smell that something's bothering you, so what is it?"  
  
As Caesar mentally cursed a Bestial Elf's ability to smell fear rather easily, the butler simply took a deep breath and decided to just go straight to the point, consequences be damned.  
  
"Sir, Luna and I are in love, and I'd like your permission to court her." he then said quickly, Ricky taking a moment to blink as the information registered.  
  
"Wait, already? Geeze, I just made you her bodyguard, I didn't think you two would fall for each other that fast." the Big Bad Wolf said casually, while also causing Caesar to flinch.  
  
"We've been in love for a whole year!" the butler then snapped, "I was just... uh... hesitant to ask you or Alan until now."  
  
"A year." Ricky said flatly, before leaning back in his chair and spinning it a quarter turn to the left with a sigh, "Geeze, why didn't you two tell me or Allu sooner? Either of us would have been more than happy to allow you two to be together! What did you think would happen, we kill you for wanting to court and marry Lulu?"  
  
"Well... yes." Caesar said in embarrassment, and also surprised that his boss was actually okay with this at all. Mainly due to several past attempts of someone trying to court Ricky's cousin had ended with them hospitalized due to either Ricky shooting them or clawing them as well as a few bites, or Alan just blowing them through a wall on the other side of a canal. Sure, those guys were sleazeballs, but still, Caesar himself had a lot of reasons to worry for his life.  
  
"Yeah... well, I trust you more than a complete stranger," Ricky said as he remembered the past attempts as well, "so... I know you'll be able to treat Lulu right. Anyway Cade, if you two still want to marry when I get back from my hunt, I'll even officiate the wedding. Also... thanks."  
  
"Sir?" Caesar asked, wondering what he could be thanked for.  
  
"Admitting you and my cousin love each other? After recent events... it's some sorely needed goodnews around here." Ricky explained with a smile, "Now, go on and tell my cousin I approve, ok?"  
  
"Yes sir. Thank you." Caesar said before heading out of the office and moving quickly through the manor to find his new girlfriend. As he grinned as he walked, he nearly bumped into a middle aged man with black hair and green eyes, Caesar nearly missing him before he stopped and looked at the man. He recognized him as Anthonio Demonia- the Lupo's previous butler and Caesar's adoptive father. As the white suited man carried a bottle of wine with him to their small house on the Lupo Property, he did raise an eyebrow at Caesar's good mood.  
  
"Something happen, son?" Anthonio asked, causing Caesar to nod.  
  
"Master Richard has given me permission to court Luna." the blond explained, causing his father to laugh- not out of disbelief, but more for congratulating his adoptive son.  
  
"I see." he then said, "Well, I won't keep your sweetheart waiting then, I'll see you at home tonight."  
  
"Thank you." Caesar said before heading off again, while his adoptive father simply walked away, a smile on his lips, and tears of joys welling up in his eyes.

~0~

"He really said yes?" Luna said once Caesar found her in the back garden and sitting under a tree before he told her the news. As the man she loved nodded, she immediately hopped up and hugged the blond in a black suit and white gloves, before kissing both of the strange, triangular purple marks on his cheeks and then giving him a longer one on the lips. As Caesar returned the kiss with just as much love as she gave him, they both smiled and look very much relieved now they wouldn't have to hide the fact they were in love anymore.  
  
"It's hard to believe that we might not have met if it weren't for the Reds causing us both to be taken in here at the manor on the same night." Luna said, causing Caesar to flinch before he looked a bit sad.  
  
"Maybe it's not as unbelievable as you think." Caesar said, hugging Luna a bit tightly as he spoke to her, "I mean, your family was..."  
  
"I... I know." Luna said, hugging her beloved back as she remembered that night, a full twelve years ago now.  
  
For Luna, she was only six at the time, having been put to bed by her mother while her father- Ricky's uncle Rockford on his father's side, had headed out after smelling something a bit off. Things were normal at first, but when Luna had trouble sleeping, she had decided to sneak out of her room to get a glass of water. Sure, she was rich, but her father had decided to give her a life as a commoner so she'd be able to understand them better and not become a spoiled and haughty woman around them when she got older.  
  
Unfortunately, when she reached the kitchen, she saw a man in a red cloak had killed her mother, and was about to set fire to her home when they saw her.  
  
"Oh. Shit." she remembered them say, before the Red, an enemy of all things, ended up picking the girl up in his arms, and carrying the young wolf out of there as the match he dropped ended up setting off the fire anyway. While the young Luna was confused as to why a rival saved her, she had later learned it was due to parts of the truce set up between the two families, stating that children and pregnant women were to be exempt from the slaughter when one attacked the other. Though, apparently no one informed the attack squad from the Red family that their target that night had a six year old daughter, and so it was indeed a shock to that one man that she was there. However, despite the rescue she had been given, Luna would not be saved from the sight of her father and her elder brothers all killed and stuffed with stones outside while more fires burned around her.  
  
She had been silent when her uncle arrived late, cursing his luck and the loss of his own brother as the rescue team he led were unable to find any other survivors but her, and Caesar. However, as she recalled the man she had loved had been with the team already, but the story as to why someone not tied to either family was taken in by the Lupos was for now, known only to the blond holding her tightly as she wept, and her late uncle Ares.  
  
"Caesar..." she then said, "Just... just why were you with my uncle that night?"  
  
Caesar stiffened at the question, however, as he realized that between them there would have to be no more secrets now, especially if they wanted the relationship itself to work. Not to mention he did promise he'd tell her so, now might be better than never.  
  
"I... I really don't remember it well." he admitted out of embarrassment, "All I do remember of that night was seeing those cloaked bastards kill my family... I think."  
  
"You're not sure, about your own family?" Luna asked, concerned.  
  
"As I said, I don't remember that night very well." Caesar said quietly, "My memory, before meeting your uncle Ares... is a blur, at best."  
  
"Well, what do you remember then?" Luna asked, and so Caesar let go and made sure they were both sitting down on the grass as he told her his story.

**********

He remembered pain. An ungodly amount of pain before opening one eye and seeing the people in red cloaks kill an innocent man, his wife, and three other children with them. Caesar himself couldn't recognize them for some reason, but as he saw his reflection in a puddle, and noticed that the man and woman had blond hair and green eyes, he assumed they might have been his family. Though he tried to crawl towards the attackers, feeling angry as he felt like he wanted revenge, he ended up passing out as the pain flared up again, followed by the smell of smoke.  
  
_"Hey, we have a someone alive over here!"_ he had heard someone say, and he didn't know how much time had passed but when he opened his eye again, his green one looked right into the golden ones of a middle aged man with graying black hair, and a kind face- despite the pointy ears and fangs. He wore a blue doublet over a pair of leather breeches and worn out leather boots- no point in wearing a new pair in this mess, while the main thing that drew Caesar's eye was the silver amulet around the man's neck resembling a wolf's head with a beautiful blue stone glowing in its jaws. As more wolves like the stranger arrived though, Caesar could see the concern and slight relief in the man's eyes as a few were checking the boy over.  
  
"Listen, do you have a name?" he had asked, causing the boy to think as he tried to remember if he actually had one. Nothing seemed to come up right away, though he did hear an odd voice echo in his mind.  
  
"Caesar... I think?" the boy then said, causing the wolf to look worried as he had healers take care of the child's wounds.  
  
"Looks like his memory's messed up." The wolf had said, "We can't waste more time here than we need to so it looks like we won't have a choice. Healers! Patch him up as best as you can, and take him along. I don't know why the Reds are taking out ordinary civilians for their distraction, but we need to hurry to Rock's place!"  
  
"Sir!" all the other wolves then said, giving a salute as they carried out his orders, and the next thing Caesar knew, the boy was being carried along on the back of a rather burly looking wolf as they ran through the streets, and arriving too late as he saw the red cloaked monsters retreat as only one child- a girl, was left behind.

**********

"...After that, well, I was brought here with you to the main estate, and since Anthonio had lost his own son recently to an accident in the canals, I was adopted by him and we both know the rest." Caesar said, and causing a cold, uneasy silence between him and Luna. He expected her to do nothing, maybe treat him as a lesser man or a liar for being unable to remember anything before that, but instead he was taken by surprise as she squeezed his hand.  
  
"I guess we both have a reason to want this feud over." Luna said, "I... I just hope Ricky can pull it off."  
  
"Same." Caesar said, squeezing her hand back with his own, "Otherwise, if he fails and an all out attack occurs... I may try and slaughter the Reds myself."  
  
As he glanced and saw the worry in Luna's face however, Caesar simply prayed it wouldn't come to that.

~0~

Meanwhile, in Miravel, Joseph Joestar and Jotaro Kujo were walking along the road with their new companion, Alphonse the Alphyn happily walking alongside the black wearing teen, while Jotaro's stand, Star Platinum brought up the rear as it carried the still sleeping Pietro Aifread. It had been a couple of hours since the stag collapsed after 200 years worth of not sleeping caught up with him, but so far, nothing else had attacked them. In fact, it was rather quiet as the sun shone down on them, the pleasant weather being helped by a nice breeze from the south, and so far, it seemed nothing could possibly go wrong.  
  
It was that last thing however, that had both men on edge.  
  
"So..." Jotaro said, trying to just make small talk more than anything at the moment, "Nice weather, don't you think?"  
  
"Yeah..." Joseph said, looking around for trouble while rubbing the back of his neck, "A lot better than that desert, let me tell ya."  
  
As Jotaro nodded, he was about to say something else, when they spotted someone up ahead, shambling along as if they were injured. Feeling like this was a bad sign for the village up ahead, the group ran forward, only to stop as Alphonse whined when they saw the stranger- a woman with reddish-blonde hair collapse on the ground, sweating some sort of slime out of her skin.  
  
"Ma'am, are you alright?" Joseph asked, getting on his knees to try and help, only for the woman to shrink away in fear.  
  
"Don't... don't touch me, please." she said with a bit of difficulty, before her hair actually changed colors, along with her cold gray eyes,"I'm... I'm on my last stabilizer..."  
  
Strange as it was, Joseph, Jotaro and Star Platinum could only watch as the unusual woman then went through various changes- claws, tentacles, fur, feathers, scales, wings, multiple limbs and no limbs at all, and even changed forms completely as she swapped between giant bug monsters, a yeti, a dog, and eventually stopping on her original form, before she stopped moving. It certainly seemed painful, but seeing as she didn't scream in pain, they assumed it wasn't at all before she apparently died. Unfortunately, the strangeness wasn't over, even as Joseph moved to pick her up to carry her into town for a proper burial.  
  
As the moment Joseph even tried to get closer, the woman's body turned into a green slime bubble, before popping and splashing Joseph by accident as it started to seep into the ground.  
  
"Oh, gross!" Joseph said, trying to get the bits of slime that got on his neck, only to freeze as suddenly, the slime on his body shivered a bit before a group of silver foxes leapt from the spots and landed on the ground across from the group and the glowing green puddle, each one having green eyes, and a purple star on their necks as they looked at Joseph before running off into the wild.  
  
"... Oh God, not again!" Joseph said, scrambling back from the puddle while he remembered Kars and how the pillar man managed to create life from his own body at will, ranging from a murderous squirrel, to piranhas that attacked Joseph himself in a plane he was piloting. Of course, as he was so lost in thought over the fact he pulled something his greatest enemy- next to even DIO had done, he failed to notice not only Jotaro's slight look of confusion about Joseph's comment, but also the goo seeping into the ground before producing a human shaped patch of flowers that looked sort of roses with purple thorns and stems.  
  
"You've had that happen before?" Jotaro asked then, causing Joseph to flinch when his grandson touched his shoulder. Seeing his grandfather's face turn angry in response before he calmed down, Jotaro simply raised an eyebrow as Joseph shoved him off before he spoke.  
  
"No. I've seen someone else do... that... before." Joseph said, dusting himself off a bit as he examined the spots those foxes had popped out of his body rather painlessly, "Just... nevermind, I seem to be fine. Think you can try and wake up Pietro so he can answer a question or something?"  
  
Jotaro said nothing, instead looking towards his stand who then tried to poke, shake, and slap the stag awake without killing him, only for Pietro to not even grunt as he continued to sleep.  
  
"He's out cold." Jotaro then said, causing Joseph to groan.  
  
"Dammit." the brunette said before he groaned as he started walking again, "Let's... let's just keep going. Hopefully someone in town will have answers as to what the hell just happened."  
  
Jotaro simply nodded, following his grandfather along still, while quietly wondering what exactly was bothering the man as he kept looking at his arm in worry, and also what caused him to get so on edge. Sure, Joseph was angry when it came to DIO and what the vampire did, but as far as he recalled, it wasn't enough to get the man this far on edge. In fact, there was a hint of concern in the teen's eyes as he worried whether or not whatever caused Joseph to look younger had caused his mind to take on a younger mindset as well. After all, that's what had happened when Jotaro himself fought Alessi, and also what happened to their friend Polnareff- who apparently couldn't remember anything from his adult life while he was turned into a child.  
  
However, as Joseph seemed to recognize Jotaro, the teen only wondered if in this case, the effect on the mind took more time than the body, and if so, how long it would take before Joseph couldn't even recognize the name of his own daughter, or his grandson's face.  
  
While it didn't show on Jotaro's face, the thought alone scared him, though it also drove the teen to decide to keep an eye on Joseph, just to be sure.  
  
"Once that damn stag wakes up," Joseph then said with a slight growl, his artifical hand actually starting to bend at a few uncomfortable angles at the joints, "He's got a lot of questions to answer."  
  
"Joseph," Jotaro then said getting his grandfather's attention, "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." Joseph said rather irritably.  
  
"Liar." Jotaro said bluntly, "You're pissed off, and what ever happened just now most likely related to something you saw. Now, what exactly did you see that could do something like that, and why did it cause you to freak out?"  
  
"It's nothing you should worry about Jotaro." Joseph said, avoiding the question for now, "It was a long time ago, and that... monster... is never coming back."  
  
"Monster?" Jotaro asked, raising an eyebrow, "Does this have to do with your prosthetic hand?"  
  
Seeing his grandfather stop, and actually begin giving off a sense of trouble to Alphonse as the beast hid by Jotaro's leg, the teen would see his grandfather turn to glare at him, before the formerly old man snapped.  
  
"Jotaro, will you shut the fuck up and leave it alone!?" Joseph said, causing Jotaro to actually blink in surprise as an awkward silence hovered between them, "I... There are just some things I want to take to my grave, alright?"  
  
Jotaro was honestly stunned by this information, but said nothing as he watched Joseph walk ahead, the teen noting that when it came to how Joseph had lost his hand in the first place, he really didn't know that much. Not to mention where the prosthetic came from originally as well.  
  
All Jotaro could do for now though, was hope his grandfather would be able to talk later, especially since the teen had a hunch that whatever it was that had his grandfather on edge this badly, a good therapist wouldn't have been able to cut it. Especially if the event was as unbelievable as their own bizarre adventure together.

~0~

_"Damn it to hell!"_ Amelia thought to herself after she was followed down the hall by her and Bowie's servant when the creature had returned once again without the girl. Ever since she had scryed that strange world, and with Bowie's assistance picked out a target for their plan, Amelia had hoped that things would go smoothly as the dimensional distortion had caused time to stop over in that place, and no one would have been able to assist that girl with the scarf.  
  
Unfortunately, it seemed that somehow, two men had managed to be immune to the effect, and had jumped through the gate after the creature she had sent, not only causing the magic she used to get disrupted, but also cause not just the girl to end up elsewhere instead of in her sanctuary, but also allowed those two interfering bastards to arrive in Fanterra as well! Not to mention that her own scrying had revealed that _the_ Magic Mirror of the kingdom of Miravel was not only shattered, but the being trapped within, Prince Pietro Aifread of Deerbank was now free and what was worse, the residual magic from his imprisonment had made him rather dangerous as he seemed to now be immune to further magic, while also possibly having more unknown abilities that were yet to be discovered that may make him much more troublesome than he already was.  
  
However, as Pietro's role in things to come was not the only thing bothering her as she stopped by the kitchen to pick up a tray of food for her beloved master, Bowie. For when the black and silver familiar trailing her had returned, she had used her magic to check its memories, only to learn something even more upsetting as another unforeseen interloper had caused another bump in their plan.  
  
Ethereas Ghostwing himself.  
  
As she carried the tray holding a bowl of dumpling soup, a glass of wine and another vial of Manticore anti-venom into the main bedroom of the witch's home and sanctuary, she did her best to hide her anger and worry in front of the weakened goblin king recovering in her bed, like he had been for the past week. The fae however, didn't even look like the usual goblins she had seen- which were short, ugly, had large ears and noses as well as sharp teeth and skin ranging from green to brown to yellow, but instead, he was tall, handsome, with long and wild looking white hair going down to his waist, pale skin that had a hint of green to it, large, pointed ears and finally one green eye with a pupil much like a cat's, while the other eye was covered with an eyepatch and bandages to heal up after what happened so long ago. While his black clothes were folded neatly on top of a dresser by the bed, Bowie himself was currently wearing a simple white night shirt while the rest of his body was covered by the blue sheets covering the bed, though as Amelia noted when she came in, he was reading one of the many history books she had collected to help him catch up on what he missed during his imprisonment over the past twelve thousand and forty-seven years.  
  
"Oh, Amelia!" Bowie said with a smile and showing the sharp teeth he had when he was still a regular goblin as he saw his savior and current nurse while he put the book down, "I see you've brought lunch, and from the smell of things... are those dumplings?"  
  
"Your sense of smell is impressive as always." Amelia said, blushing a bit as her hood kept covering all but her chin and lips, though she did smile back a bit as their servant entered the room in silence. "How are you feeling today, Master Bowie? Do you think you might be able to walk today?"  
  
"I'm feeling alright enough, Amelia- Oh, thank you." Bowie said as the witch placed the tray in his lap, "Anyway, I believe I might try walking again after lunch. I know yesterday ended... painfully as I couldn't even get out of bed, but... having that venom in my body for so long, well, it's expected for me to be weakened for a long time--- Oh, these are delicious as always! I'm surprised you knew how to make my favorite dish so perfectly!"  
  
"I... didn't know you liked dumpling soup." Amelia said a bit quietly in surprise, "It was just something my mother taught me to cook, and I always felt the dumplings were a bit too tough at times myself."  
  
"Oh not at all!" Bowie said as he chowed down, "The chicken you placed in the dumplings before cooking them is perfectly tender, and the outside of them is just firm enough to not fall apart too easily when cut with a spoon, while remaining soft and chewy enough to be enjoyable! Combined with how wonderfully savory the broth is, I believe you did very well!"  
  
"Thank you, Master Bowie." Amelia said, her chin now turning red as she kept blushing further from the praise while the goblin tasted the wine and let his eyes widen in surprise.  
  
"Oh my, I've never had wine like this before." he then said, "Sweet, a bit of a spice, and... hmm, smells like cedar barrels were used for the aging process. Not to mention the golden color is not what I expected to go with the taste. Tell me, what kind is this?"  
  
"Phoenix Blossom wine, from the Stonehill Barony in Clawthorn." Amelia said, "It has some properties to help with one's health, and I figured it would help along with the anti-venom once I managed to buy a couple of bottles."  
  
"I see..." Bowie said with a nod, "You are a very kind woman Amelia. Thinking of others' well-being like this."  
  
"Thank you." Amelia said with a smile, though the man's words still stung her quite a bit. She was far from being kind, after all she did murder a man and broke the heart of the woman that man would have married just to free Bowie from his prison, while also continuing the blood feud between her former family and the Lupos. Not to mention she stole what she needed at times, had been disowned in her pursuits and in her mind, she was just a tool to be used for others goals.  
  
A tool, was what she was more than happy to be, in her opinion.  
  
"Something wrong?" Bowie then asked, noticing the sadness Amelia had, causing her to flinch a bit.  
  
"I'm afraid I have bad news, Master." she said, "The girl we targetted to bring here from that other world... she did arrive in Fanterra, but... a couple of unexpected factors caused her to end up in another part of the world and also keep our servant from bringing her here as it was supposed to."  
  
"I see." Bowie said, before glancing at the black and silver creature that sat at the foot of the goblin's bed, "Karas, explain these factors."  
  
The creature looked up at the request, its silver eyes boring into Bowie's green one as it shifted a bit, the mask over it's face letting out a rush of air as a reedy, and somewhat pained sounding voice came out.  
  
"Two humans... not frozen like the rest were when I found the girl..." it said, "Men that I... sensed an odd magic from. The younger had a different magic in him entirely from the girl... while sharing something with the elder, while the... other... also had a similar power within... to the girl."  
  
"Interesting..." Bowie said, becoming rather serious, "Tell me Karas, what happened to lead you to fail to return here with the girl?"  
  
"The two men... jumped into the gate." Karas explained, "The girl and I ended up in a manor... in... Ringaia... Ethereas... appeared and saved her."  
  
"Ethereas... You mean to say that he has returned to our world?" Bowie said in shock, before looking concerned now. "Karas. Tell me about the encounter with Ethereas."  
  
"Ethereas... told me I would not have her... he used his blade to strike me. I dodged. The girl had passed out, he summoned... his own Arcana Magus. Emerald instead of Onyx. A Floral fae... cannot summon us... somehow... he learned..." Karas then said, before it seemed to actually "smile" as its eyes bent a bit inward at the bottom, and it let out a distorted sounding, dry laugh. "However... his Emerald did not stop me from... splitting him. His body sleeps in another part of Fanterra... His spirit rests inside the blue stone the girl found before... I... reached her."  
  
"Master, I was the one using magic to send... Karas... to that other world." Amelia said to Bowie, "If you must punish me for this failure, I will not argue against it."  
  
"No, no, punishment is not necessary for this unusual twist." Bowie said calmly while a bit deep in thought as he drank the anti-venom next, "With the news of that girl having found a fae-stone in her world, and the way Ethereas managed to actually return to Fanterra to rescue her, then this means that we managed to get lucky in finding half of what we need for our plan."  
  
"So... that girl is Ethereas Ghostwing's..." Amelia said, only for Bowie to finish for her.  
  
"True love? Indeed." he said with a smile, "Had she not have been, she would have just been an ordinary girl we kidnapped from her world to test and see if it could be done, and let go immediately. But that stone... oh, that stone has made things much, much more interesting now. After all, not just any woman can pick up a Fae Stone. No, they must be _destined_ for the fae that stone is connected to, otherwise they won't even notice the thing at all. Of course, the blue stone's partner will be with Ethereas, so... I believe the next step is to ensure that this young lady makes it here instead of even getting a chance to properly meet and awaken Ethereas."  
  
"I see." Amelia said, "Though, why did you decide to not punish me for the original failure?"  
  
"Simple." Bowie said as he looked towards her, "I may have done terrible things, but even a villain such as myself, should at least not lose their temper over every failure. Any leader, good or bad, must keep a cool head as often as possible, as anger will blind them from even the smallest victories. Besides, someone who treats their minions well is less likely to have a betrayal than a villain who is a terrible master to their servants. Before I became a king, I was just a simple goblin servant and knew what it was like to suffer, but when I... somehow... ascended to my current form, I chose not to follow in my old master's footsteps and kept to my roots."  
  
"You make a good point," Amelia said, while Karas watched in silence, "Shall I send Karas off to go fetch the girl then?"  
  
"Not yet." Bowie said, before looking towards the Magus, "Karas, will you wait in the hall, I have something I wish to discuss with Amelia in private, and you know that I do not like it when you watch my more private moments."  
  
"As you... wish..." Karas said, getting up and giving an exaggerated bow as it stretched its limbs a bit, immediately obeying afterward and closing the door behind it.  
  
"What do you wish to talk about, Master?" Amelia then asked while Bowie went back to his soup.  
  
"Amelia, please don't call me Master. I'd like it very much if you called me Bowie." the goblin said, "Also... why do you keep wearing your hood, even when your indoors?"  
  
"Sorry Ma--- I mean, Bowie. I felt it was much more professional for me to consider you as such." Amelia said, not sure what to think of the request before flinching at Bowie's question."  
  
"I... I don't want you to think less of me, if you saw me without it." Amelia said, causing Bowie to let out a sigh as he set the now finished meal aside before shifting a bit to hang his legs off the side of the bed, and showing that the knee-length night-shirt was all he had on for the moment. As the Goblin then reached forward a bit, to slide a hand under her hood and caress the witch's cheek, he then looked her in the eye as he spoke.  
  
"Please, I'm curious to know just what you face looks like, Amelia." Bowie said softly, and with a sigh, Amelia lowered her hood, her chin-length, blond hair shining in the sunlight coming through the window, while a decorative, bird like, black mask covered the upper half of her face and also part of her right cheek, her reddish brown eyes peeking out at Bowie. As the Goblin King raised an eyebrow though, he moved to remove the mask, only for Amelia to pull away.  
  
"Please... don't take it off." she said fearfully. "I... I don't want you to see my face. At least not yet."  
  
"Very well." Bowie said, before moving to get up and try walking again, as Amelia moved to support him when he began wobbling a bit. As he practiced walking again, he then changed the subject, "Just remember, for our plan to work we need both the true love of either Ethereas Ghostwing or Marduk Zavriel, but also a Prince who's pure of heart, that isn't either of those two fae."  
  
"Don't worry Bowie, I have a good idea on who to use for the Prince in our plan." Amelia said, moving slowly as Bowie dragged his feet along, "Though, since not even you know where Marduk is, and I'm... unwilling to risk the wrath of the entire Zavriel Family by finding the lost son of Calina, and taking the woman meant for him... Ethereas is the safer route."  
  
"Indeed." Bowie said, "Exactly... how many children does Calina have now?"  
  
"Last I heard? It was around... 37 accounted for, while Marduk is still missing. Whatever happened to him... it's kept his mother looking for over a millenium, and random sightings over the years shows he certainly isn't dead yet." Amelia said, causing Bowie to stumble a bit.  
  
"Th... _Thirty seven!?_ Sweet Andersen, what has she been doing in all this ti--- No, no, I don't want to know. It's Calina." Bowie said, before doing a double take, "And she _still_ hasn't found Marduk!? Where the hell was he last seen!?"  
  
"Ringaia, about... Twelve years ago." Amelia said, "No sign of him since then I'm afraid."  
  
"I see." Bowie said, "Let's... let's just keep as far from the Zavriels as possible. I'd rather not risk encountering her again, or worse, that brat of hers that got my eye..."  
  
"Understood." Amelia said, while the two continued with Bowie's physical therapy around the room, before he returned to the bed to rest. He was after all, regaining a bit more strength every day.

~0~

In the city of Bella Aquae, Veronica Zeppeli was sitting at a cafe by one of the many canals of the city, watching the Gondolas go by as she waited for Ricky Lupo and Wamu to finish discussing business with Cameo Red inside the cafe. While she noted that the elderly man with a red cloak and a dark look in his eyes seemed civil enough, the fact that the Lupos and the Reds had a feud between them that the two leaders were trying to actually end was enough to make her feel uneasy as she insisted on staying outside to wait.  
  
Veronica herself, had a thing when it came to death, having heard how her great-uncle Caesar had died to help a friend of his, and before that her great-grandfather Mario Zeppeli sacrificed himself to save Caesar, as did her great-great grandfather Will Anthonio Zeppeli died to save someone, as did Will's own father before him. With the apparent Zeppeli Curse hanging over her head, it had caused her to be unwilling to get involved in major problems or rather, bizarre adventures. While she didn't know the full circumstances behind those three relatives deaths, she did at least know that her favorite cousin, a horse jockey named Julius Caesar "Gyro" Zeppeli had been critically injured trying to save her own life from a bunch of thugs, having gotten himself injured when he had pulled her on his horse, Valkyrie and made a run for it through Rome while they ended up mixing the arts of Hamon and his newly invented technique of the "Spin together to try and survive. Though, due to his belief that 'Lady Luck' get jealous if he let another girl- even a cousin like Veronica, ride with him on his horse and make him suffer, since it was an emergency at the time he felt that Lady Luck could deal with it if it meant that Veronica was safe and uninjured. Unfortunately, Lady Luck had indeed gotten jealous, since Gyro had ended up getting shot in the shoulder, his leg cut by a thrown knife, and ridiculously enough, getting hit by a runaway vegetable cart that hit a roadblock and sent their contents flying right at Gyro and Veronica, the man getting knocked out by a head of lettuce and causing her to try and keep Valkyrie from going nuts as well while she was covered in tomato juice.  
  
Thank god she learned that Hamon technique for hypnosis, and just used it to keep Valkyrie relaxed when the girl had to grab the horse's mane and channeled the energy through that. Though, her cousin did get hospitalized for a month or two as a result. While it could have been much worse for them, it seemed that Veronica's own luck had decided to step in and keep them both alive when Gyro's lady caused them trouble.  
  
In any case, Veronica smiled a bit as she thought about her goofy cousin, especially as he made some terrible- yet still funny (to her anyway) jokes with wordplay, she personally wondered what he'd think of this place she got herself shanghai'd to. No doubt he'd make a goofy joke or two while switching back into his serious mode, while also insisting that Ricky might call him "Gyro" instead of "Juze" or something, going by the wolf's nicknaming habit. And while he would insist they try to find a way home, he'd also probably try and pick up girls they saw along the way, ask about a discount if something was going to put a major dent in his funds, and most importantly, insist they keep calm and not panic.  
  
_"Probably wouldn't stop him from letting his cocky attitude and ruder side to get him into trouble."_ Veronica then thought as she remembered her cousin's other faults, before reaching into a pocket on her blouse and pulled out an old pocket watch. She had gotten it from her grandfather in Italy, saying it belonged to an ancestor of hers originally and figured that she should have it- especially since compared to the other members of her family around her age, she was the one most likely to keep it intact. It was a nice looking thing, made of silver and the cover actually showing a relief of a lunar moth that had the enamel on it worn away, flying towards a moonstone and a few small diamonds. While the gems were in-fact real, Veronica didn't really care if they were or not, and instead cared more about the watch being part of her family along with what she had learned about Hamon. Clicking the watch open, she then smiled as she looked at a picture she had taken a year ago with her cousin and her little sister, Veronica herself looking happy enough, while her black haired little sister grinned as she hugged her big sister and her goofy cousin Gyro, the blond, light-eyed young man wearing his favorite hat with his shuttered shades (and Veronica personally hoped the things would go out of style and never come back) on the brim, and his grin showing the gold teeth he had put in to replace the ones that were kicked out by a very unruly horse, while he had that strange, carefully styled square patches on his jaw he attempted to call a beard.  
  
"Interesting painting, very detailed for its size, yet I can't see a single stroke." someone then said, causing Veronica to flinch as she shut the watch and slipped it back into her pocket, before turning to see who spoke. To her surprise, it wasn't Ricky or Wamu, but another man entirely with short, brown hair and brown eyes and for some reason seemed to really like the color green as his entire outfit seemed to have some shade of it from his leather jerkin to his legging and even his boots. In fact, the only thing that wasn't green was a gold ring on his finger, and the steel sword at his side.  
  
"Uh... hi?" Veronica said, feeling uneasy about this guy- even if he did look cute and had a nice smile. "Something I can help you with...?"  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself my lovely dove." the man said making a very exaggerated bow before moving to kiss Veronica's hand, "Prince Ezio Cacciatori of Ringaia. And you would be?"  
  
"Veronica Zeppeli." The silver haired young woman said in annoyance, snatching her hand away and not exactly in the mood to deal with this guy, "And I don't care if you're a prince or not, I'm not really interested in a flirt."  
  
As Ezio flinched at the young woman's rather blunt remark, he sighed and sat down across from her, before giving the young woman a curious look as he realized she was not the type to fall for his usual lines.  
  
"Fair enough," he then said with a shrug, "I must admit, when I heard my friend Ricky had gotten himself an... otherworldly guest, I felt I had to come and see him before he left on his hunting trip. And since his absence will make my job running the Ring Knights very boring... well, why not see this guest for myself while making sure my best friend in all of Bella Aquae is well prepared for the road?"  
  
"Well, he's probably still in that meeting with Mr. Red, so... looks like I'm going to be stuck with you for a bit." Veronica said, "Though, he did tell me when he was done, we were going shopping for supplies."  
  
"Oh?" Ezio said with a smile before pulling out a list from a pouch on his belt and handing it to her, and as Veronica read it, noticed they seemed to be shops and stores. "Well, you can go to these places, and if you have Ricky tell them I sent you, well, you may be able to get yourself a royal discount!~"  
  
"Won't they require proof though, _Ezca?"_ A third voice then said, sounding a bit irritated as Veronica noticed that Ricky had shown up just then, causing Ezio to let out a yelp before turning and grinning at the Big Bad Wolf.  
  
"Ricky!~" Ezio then said, getting up and hugging the man before kissing the wolf on the cheeks, the gesture not being returned by the wolf, "Oh, what's with the face? Meeting go badly?"  
  
"Actually, it went rather well, and tomorrow plans have been made to end the feud peacefully once and for all, your highness." Wamu then said, as Cameo and his entourage left the cafe and headed home, while also taking a moment to acknowledge the prince.  
  
"So... why are you irritated then Ricky?" Ezio then asked, ignoring the gladiator as the larger man simply let out a humph as a response.  
  
"Maybe because I come out of a meeting, only to see you hitting on my guest as if she was your basic floozy." Ricky said, "No offense meant, Veze."  
  
"None taken." Veronica said, causing the prince to step back as if insulted.  
  
"Well, considering how she's dressed, I'm surprised no one else tried to whisk her away to some tavern to get her drunk, take her to a room and--" Ezio said, only to get interrupted as Veronica actually jumped out of her chair while still being in a seated position, before straightening herself out and extended a leg. "What the fuck!?"  
  
_"Spiraling Serpent Overdrive!"_ Veronica said, as her scarf suddenly seemed to spark a bit before coming to life on its own as it wrapped around her body as she spun, and actually spun through the air itself as she managed to deliver a kick to Ezio's chest and sent him flying over down the street before being stopped by a cabbage cart, while the owner cursed and begged the gods above why this had to happen to his cabbages. While Ezio himself was knocked out, Ricky and Wamu could only stare in shock as a piece of paper then fluttered to the ground and landed at the wolf's feet.  
  
"Wamu?" the wolf then asked his body guard, while the large man picked up the piece of paper and looked at it.  
  
"Yes, Master Richard?"  
  
"You saw the same thing that I did just now, right? With Veze suddenly doing a seated jump, and then spinning and drill-scarf kicking Prince Ezio?"  
  
"I did indeed, Master Richard." Wamu said, causing Veronica to flinch and panic a bit.  
  
"Wait, what!?" she said, "I know I blanked out for a bit, but did I seriously do that? I-I'm not going to get arrested or anything am I?" she asked, while Wamu showed the paper to Ricky, who let out a whistle.  
  
"Nope." The wolf said, "Apparently, his highness was supposed to deliver something that qualifies you for... diplomatic immunity due to you being from another world, while also painting you as a dignitary from across the Andersen Sea... officially. However, since he didn't give it to you, it seems he's being a corrupt official while his older brother is ruling the kingdom."  
  
"Wait, how did-" Veronica was about to ask, before realizing what had happened, "You told the king, didn't you?"  
  
"Yup." Ricky said with a shrug. "King Tonio is my best friend, but Ezca? He's always been a liar and a sleazeball. Hell, with this little stunt, I may have to report him, finally, for corruption since he didn't go on and give you your present from the king. Probably would have tried to force you to fuck him for it if I hadn't stepped in. Again."  
  
"He pulled this stunt before?" Veronica asked, though she didn't sound as surprised as she should be, especially as Ricky nodded while Wamu just walked over to the unconscious Prince's body, searched it and picked up a few things before removing the man's pants and placing a bottle of wine in his hand before whistling innocently as he returned to Ricky and Veronica. As the cart owner was too busy ranting to pay attention, and it was a surprisingly slow part of the day for the area, it'd be a bit before anyone would show up to gather around the fallen prince, and start a few rumors as to how he got in that situation in the first place.  
  
"Here." Wamu then said, grabbing Veronica's hand and putting an object in it- soon to be revealed to be a bracelet with a seal showing twelve identical human figures surrounding a lion holding a ring. As she slipped it on though, she felt a wave of energy go through her as she shivered a bit, especially since the bracelet adjusted itself to fit her.  
  
"What's this?" she then asked, while Ricky looked at the bracelet and smirked.  
  
"Your immunity." he said, "With this bracelet? Not only will people be able to tell you're a dignitary, but the Ring Knights can't touch ya, no matter how big a fit Ezio throws when he wakes up... speaking of... what exactly happened there anyway? I mean, I've never seen anyone pull a stunt like that off without even using an incantation before saying the name of a specific spell, unless they were a fae, and you Veze, don't smell like a fae."  
  
"Uh... I'll explain later." Veronica then said as she coughed a bit, "How about we go on and get our shopping done?"  
  
With a nod, the wolf and his bodyguard started walking with Veronica following after them, curious to see what sort of things would be fashionable for someone going out on the road, and still looking fabulous doing so. Normally, she preferred practical things, but for some reason, she felt this odd need to look fabulous in this world, especially if she was going to get home eventually while she did her best to help Ricky out and pay him back for helping her out when she first arrived.

~0~

Later that day, Veronica took a moment to stretch a bit as she had gotten a new set of traveling clothes for the road ahead, as well as gotten herself a pair of gloves to hide the mark that showed up on her hand that morning, the black mark showing a small crown with a hole in the center that probably represented a gemstone. She had no idea what it meant, why it appeared or where it even came from, but the fact it was there at all was weirder than the usual stuff she normally had to deal with- be it training to use the Hamon, or Ripple, to channel sunlight through organic material and living beings in order to destroy vampires or just defend herself in general, her little sister Rosalva using her own abilities with Hamon to pull pranks on her- especially since the kid was smarter than she seemed for a five year old, or even just trying to remain as normal as possible around her friends, Pat and Bonnie. Sure, she did try to explain her powers to them, but they didn't really believe it when they were starting out high school and as a result...  
  
Well, Veronica ended up developing episodes where she'd blank out mentally and just unleash the Hamon out of instinct when someone managed to piss her off enough, like what happened with Ezio earlier, On the other hand, she would accidentally use it without blanking out- which led to incidents such as blasting someone she had a crush on with milk in the cafeteria, or even causing the grass to tangle itself on the football team of her old highschool, and trip them up.  
  
After she finished explaining what had happened with the Prince to Ricky and Wamu, both of them simply looked at each other and gave a shrug before Ricky spoke up.  
  
"So, it's less traditional magic in Fanterran terms, with rhymes, emotions, gems, or whatever else mages are using to cast spells over in Spherean, and more like you were trained as some sort of sunlight-powered, magic monk?" Ricky asked, keeping an open mind, unlike her friends.  
  
"I... guess that's one way to put it?" Veronica said, "I mean, Hamon- or Ripple, as it's been called sometimes, is usually meant to heal and kill vampires or zombies... and something called a Pillarman, but a ripple master who's name I can't remember at the moment defeated the last ones, from what I've heard."  
  
"So, you fight undead monsters, and heal people... as well as kick ass going by earlier." Ricky said, "Well Veze, I'll admit I'm really looking forward to seeing what you can do. Not to mention I'm relieved that you can defend yourself... though... I'm gonna suggest something in regards to you 'blanking out,' if ya don't mind."  
  
"Not at all, go ahead." Veronica asked, while Ricky nodded.  
  
"Since from what I can tell, you're trying to suppress what you can do for the sake of fitting in back in your world, it's leading to those episodes. However, since this isn't your world, I think if you just stop trying to fit into being normal, and embrace what you can do... you'll have more control of what you do when using your powers." the wolf then said, giving a bit of common sense for the situation.  
  
"I'll try." Veronica said with a small smile, before something grabbed waist. Looking down and seeing a leather whip wrapped around her body that soon dragged her into an alleyway, it seemed that trouble had reared its head as Ricky and Wamu became more serious, nodded to each other, and chased after Veronica. Though, as both men smirked, it seemed they were actually hoping for a bit of action, especially as Wamu had a new toy to try out.  
  
As for Veronica though, she found herself wrapped up with the whip and thrown to the ground, looking up at a trio of thugs that seemed to grin down at her as their leader spoke up.  
  
"Well, well, look at what we caught today!" the black haired man said with a vile smirk, "Seems we caught ourselves a courtesan!"  
  
"Eyup!" said the dumbest looking of the three, "You gonna take'er boss?"  
  
The thug leader said nothing, examining Veronica closely as she struggled while wrapped up and playing helpless as Ricky and Wamu snuck up on the group. "Well, since she's a foreigner... maybe I'll show her an extra good ti-"  
  
Thankfully, the bastard was interrupted as the dumb one ended up falling over, a crossbow bolt in his neck while the third thug- a man almost as big as Wamu turned around and gulped as he saw trouble in the form of Ricky Lupo and Wamu. While Ricky looked at the thugs from the side, his right arm extended while holding the crossbow as his back arched, and his left hand rested on his hat and tilted it to cover one eye, Wamu was shown to be rather flexible despite the muscles as he was halfway turned as well, his arms raised and his wrists crossed over head, one foot on its toes while the other was flat. Though, the fact that he was also holding a very large hammer without becoming imbalanced spoke of the man's strength as his gentle and cold looking blue eyes turned fierce as a wild smirk showed on his lips.  
  
"Uh... Boss?" the largest of the thugs then said nervously, "It's Lupo and his bodyguard Wandorian, the Emperor of the Arena! We're fucked if they're acquainted with this bitch!"  
  
"Leroy." The thug boss said flatly, unimpressed by the other two as he stopped paying attention to Veronica, while also still holding onto the handle of his whip. "You're a strong, powerful man. And you have broken Wandorian's records in the arena yourself. I have full confidence in you to handle these two on your own, and because of that confidence, I trust you as much as my many strays."  
  
"Thanks Carson--- I-I mean Boss!" Leroy said with a grin as he got between his boss and the other two guys. Though, while Carson smiled, he failed to notice that Veronica was smirking as he turned to speak to her directly.  
  
"Now then, where were we?" he said, his eyes closed before getting smacked by his own whip, the oiled and well cared for leather tool sparking with power as Veronica decided to focus the Ripple through it and turn it against him, especially as the whip wrapped itself around Carson's throat and tightened enough to make him pass out, leaving Veronica with the unconscious thug next to her, while Leroy battled against Ricky and Wamu.  
  
Or would have, if Leroy didn't look behind him to see his boss out cold, picked the man up, climbed up the side of a building and made a run for it.  
  
"Well. That was anti-climatic." Ricky said, while Wamu merely looked annoyed as he had his fun ruined for the moment before the big man walked over to Veronica and spoke.  
  
"Are you alright, Miss Zeppeli?" the gladiator asked, before deciding to check to see if Veronica was aware of what she did this time, "How did you break free?"  
  
"Well, the whip was apparently well maintained and oiled, which allowed me to use Ripple to control it like my scarf and free myself." Veronica said with a shrug and showing she didn't blank out this time, "If the thing was dry and cracked, I'd probably be in a bit more trouble."  
  
"So, your powers can be channeled through oils, and maybe other liquids then?" Ricky asked, while his crossbow reloaded itself as the bolt disappeared from the dead thug's neck and reappeared where it belonged with not a speck of blood on it.  
  
"Yeah, the reason it's called Ripple sometimes, is because when used on something like oil or water, it can show up as actual ripples instead of sparks." Veronica said, "Though, it can also be channeled through certain materials, like my scarf- which is made from the yarn of something called a 'Satiporoja Beetle.' Unfortunately, I don't know what that bug looks like, since I've never seen one."  
  
"Huh, guess that makes sense." Ricky said as he crossed his arms, "Anyway, let's head back to the manor, since the delivery boys will definitely be waiting there with our gear, and I still need to pay them."  
  
"Right." Veronica said, and so the trio left the alleyway.

~0~

Up on the rooftop, unnoticed by either the fleeing Leroy or the trio, Karas watched and silently cursed as the Magus realized that it's job to retrieve Veronica will be much harder now that she seemed to have gotten allies. Not wanting to strike again so soon, even if the chance to attack was perfect, Karas instead decided to wait and shadow them before deciding what the next major step would be.

Though, before it could leave, Karas stopped and looked back down at the leaving trio, and thought that there was something oddly familiar about the one called 'Wamu,' though, as it watched them go out of sight, the Arcana Magus simply wondered why it felt such a thing. After all, it shouldn't have such thoughts, as it had always been what it was- a weapon that could think on its own to ensure victory when given orders. Karas never had friends or comrades in its battalion- just lesser minded followers to command in battle during the war oh so long ago. It didn't care when its soldiers were destroyed by those rebels, and even destroyed a few that were 'malfunctioning' themselves when they refused to follow its orders, or the orders of their masters.

Only the twenty two Arcana Magi Tarotica Major were allowed to have a personality, fears, and a 'soul' of sorts after all, and even the others were something it might have considered being close with compared to the lesser Arcana Magi made during the war.

 _"I wonder where the others are located now? Are they still in the same place as before, or have they been moved? Am I the only one left? Are the others just waiting to be unsealed and awoken? I must make sure to free those that I can, once my work under King Bowie has ended."_ Karas thought to itself as it followed after the trio from the rooftops, being careful to go unseen as it made itself invisible from all but those with the ability to see the unseen. Though, as it moved, Karas also thought of what he knew of the other twenty one Tarotica Major, when he became the last one to be sealed at the end of the war. However, as he thought of one of the others specifically, Aeon the Caster of Judgement, Karas stopped and glared at the world around him, clenching a fist as he continued shadowing his target and her allies.

 _"On second thought. Aeon can stay sealed in that tree of theirs. That blasted Traitor deserves it."_ Karas thought then, while also looking a bit worried as he continued his own task, especially as his thoughts moved on to the very first of their kind, Chance Mat, the Fool, and most powerful of the Tarotica Major. While Karas itself was the fifth to be produced and therefore the fifth most powerful of them, their leader, Chance, had simply disappeared along with Marduk Zavriel on their way to Bowie. Karas had no idea what had happened to the Fool, but the unknown factor of that was what scared him most.

Eventually, Karas was drawn out of his thoughts after subconsciously scouting the Lupo Manor, having noted that it was secured rather well, and therefore, made re-capturing 'Zeppeli" much more difficult than it needed to be.

 _"I'll have to go back and report this to Bowie. Perhaps the Prince they need for the plan will be... easier to obtain without much-"_ Karas thought, only stop as it sensed that someone, or something was watching him. _"Chance Mat?"  
_  
Looking around while still hidden from normal sight, Karas saw no one around then and just shook its head. _"No. Probably a misreading. My time sealed away must have messed with my senses, as did that surprise Emerald Heirophant Tarotica Major that Ethereas summoned."_

Thinking of that incident had caused Karas' clear, black membrane to bubble in anger. It should have been the only one of its make, the only one who could do what it was even capable of, the only Heirophant made by the empire, and summoned by the Blue Faerie's forces. No Floral Fae should not have summoned one, they were much too weak to do so normally- even ascended ones like Ethereas and his brother, Salvador.

And yet, it had happened.

It happened, and while its emerald and beige double said nothing, Karas had been caught off guard just enough to get struck by Ethereas' sword. Placing a hand on its side, Karas decided it was time to leave and left the manor grounds- all while failing to notice a shadow on the ground that looked like a human with a pair of horns coming out of their head...  


~0~

In the throne room of the royal palace in White Mountain, the capital of Miravel, King Diomarlon White looked rather worried as he sat on his throne, before a young man with blue eyes, skin as white as snow, short, somewhat messy hair as black as ebony and just like their ancestor, and the prince's own mother, lips as red as blood- much to the young man's annoyance whenever someone mistook him for wearing rouge on his lips.

"Father." the young man said, kneeling just before the throne on one knee while bowing his head, and the sunlight coming through the window hit the prince's clothes in just the right way to really show off his blue shirt with red and light blue sleeves, pale, yellow breeches and plain leather boots along with a ring on his finger and a gorgeous amulet around his neck while his circlet rested on his head.

"Jonathan." Diomarlon said calmly as he gave his son a kind smile- though the two looked like they could be brothers, it was thanks to the king's blessing at birth from his faerie godmother, that he looked like a young man despite being near his fifties. "I'm glad you could come when I summoned you. I fear we may have a problem..."

"A problem, father?" Johnathan then asked as he became concerned, "Is your back starting to give out and forcing you to need some medicine from another kingdom? Is there trouble at one of the borders? Don't tell me my step-mother forgot about your anniversary with my real mother, did she?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Diomarlon said with a sigh and a wave of his hand, "Especially not that last one. I fear that when I tried to contact Pietro... he wouldn't answer."

"But, he always answers when he's called on!" Jonathan said in shock, standing up quickly then and there, "What could possibly cause something like this?"

"I don't know." Diomarlon then said, "That is why I'm sending you to Gem Hill to investigate Hildegarde's old tower."

"Me, father?" Jonathan then said in surprise as he pointed to himself, "A-Are you certain? Why not just send Sir Swiftcart like you usually do?"

"Well, considering that your betrothed, Irene is due back in her hometown today, I felt that you going would allow you to see her." the king then said with a big smile, "And what better way to greet her after finishing her studies in Spherean than to send the man she's to marry?"

"Thank you father!" Jonathan said excitedly, "I'm sure Irene will be surprised as well, and I'll do my best to not let myself be distracted during my investigation, no matter how many acts of good I must do on the road!"

"I'm sure you won't." Diomarlon said with a chuckle, before noticing that Johnathan hasn't left yet. "Anything else on your mind? There's... not really anything else to discuss at the moment, son."

"Er... n-no, nothing like that..." Jonathan said as he tugged at his right leg, and blushed from embarrassment, "My boot's stuck to the floor again... I think it might be that gremlin, again."

"Take your boot off and go put on another pair before you leave." Diomarlon said with a sigh, "I'll make sure it is removed and the carpet repaired before you return."

As Jonthan nodded and left the room with just one boot on, the king then sank into this throne a bit and groaned. "Sweet Grimm, I thought we got rid of that damn thing months ago!"  


~0~

In the town of Gem Hill, Joseph, Jotaro, Alphonse and Star Platinum had arrived as the sun was beginning to set, the still sleeping Pietro cradled in the stand's arms as they made their way to the first building they saw in the mining town- a place with a sign that said "The Sharifti Inn." While they passed some locals that looked at them curiously, especially as they whispered about how they seemed to come from the direction of the tower, it was quite clear to the Earthlings that it wasn't normal for travelers to come from there. As for Joseph, while he did relax a bit, he still seemed on edge about what they saw, especially as they entered the empty main floor of the inn and saw a man behind a bar showing that the place was also a tavern- judging from how he was cleaning a mug.

"Sorry, Inn's closed for a few days." the owner then said without even looking at the group, "Mourning the death of me sister."

"How'd she die?" Jotaro asked, "We just got to town, and our friend passed out on the road shortly after we left the tower an--"

"The tower?" the innkeeper said, turning to face the group and causing Joseph to note he looked a bit familiar with his tanned skin, messy, shoulder length vermilion hair that was mostly swept back, except for two short locks that hung down over his forehead, and surprisingly good looks. While he wore a short sleeved white shirt under a brown vest, his muscled arms were quite notable as a sign that he didn't just tend a bar all day, "Impossible, no one _comes from_ the Tower, and that was where my sister was headed... on her way to the family graveyard."

"We saw someone on the road on the way here." Joseph said, keeping an eye on the innkeeper as he wondered why this guy seemed familiar, especially as the man's blue eyes bored into his own green ones. "A young woman who... collapsed, before turning into a green goo."

"That.. that was Sharon." The owner then said in shock, "She and I? We're Shapeshifters, and since some bastard managed to trick her into eating something that had cinnamon in it, she was destabilizing due to her allergies, and well... she had to leave town to prevent anyone stepping on her remains while her Primordia seeped into the ground and cause a new species to show up. Wait, you didn't get any of her on either of you, did you?"

"Uh... w-well, some of her... Primordia was it? That stuff splashed on me a bit when she.... uh... died..." Joseph said, causing the owner to glare at him directly.

"What did you make?" the owner said, before his shirt ripped as curved blades came out of chest with ease, "What the flying hell did you fucking make with my sister, you bastard!?"

"J-Just some foxes with stars near their necks!" Joseph said, realizing that this shapeshifter actually looked like the Pillarman Santana- even if he was more expressive than the original article while Jotaro got ready to fight as Star Platinum started placing Pietro on the floor. "Jotaro, stop! We don't want to mess with this guy, especially if he's grieving and angry like this!"

"You bastard!" the Shapeshifter 'Santana' then said, "I'll show you what happens when you mess with Carlos Sharifti and his Family!"

"Holy shit!" Joseph said as Carlos then hopped onto the bar, getting thick, bony plates on his body as well as tentacles coming out of his back while his legs and head turned into something draconic in nature. "Jotaro? there's only one thing to do here right now! And that's the Legendary Joestar Secret Technique!"

"You mean?" Jotaro said, and with a nod from Joseph, both men quickly turned tail and ran, Star Platinum picking up both Pietro and Alphonse as the stand followed after them with the inn owner sending out a stream of fire as he neared the door, before shouting a few curses their way and slamming the door shut. Of course, the door did open back up long enough for him to place a sign saying the inn was closed before it was slammed shut again and the sound of roars, curses and broken glass could be heard from outside.

"Man, never thought I'd see a face... or ribs like that again." Joseph said later with a groan as he caught his breath, and rested against shop. "Seriously, I thought that was Santana for a moment..."

"Who's Santana?" Jotaro asked, causing Joseph to flinch as he forgot his grandson was there, before clearing his throat.

"No one." Joseph said as he began walking down the street, "Anyway, let's just try and find someplace to stay that isn't run by a psycho, ok?"

Realizing that his grandfather wasn't going to answer him on that, Jotaro assumed that it was related to what happened earlier in more ways than one and followed after the man without a word. Of course, as Joseph complained about the day so far, Jotaro merely listened as the locals went about their business and ignored them, only a few to stop and look as a carriage rolled up next to them, drawn by what looked like a pair of unicorns.

Of course, as Joseph noticed this and stopped to look, the Carriage stopped as well as the door opened, and a lady's voice spoke to them.

"Pardon me, but... do you gentlemen need a place to stay?" she said, the young lady being a blond young woman with her long hair swept back and tied into a low pony tail, bright blue eyes and a gentle demeanor. From what both men of the Joestar family noticed about her outfit- which consisted of a gorgeous white and blue gown with with gems along the neckline, on her wrists and a large sunstone around her neck on a white choker. She had a large pouch tied to her waist, and to Joseph, he definitely knew who this woman looked like.

 _"Granny Erina!?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in this chapter we not only saw more of the world of Fanterra, but learned more about Hierophant Black and the other two villains. Mainly HB, aka Karas. Originally, Karas wasn't going to speak, but I felt it'd be better to give him a personality to make him more than just a recolor of Kakyoin's stand.
> 
> Also, I advise keeping Karas' moment of finding Wamu familiar in mind for the future... since it's going to be a hint as to how the Tarotica were made. Also, keep that shadow mentioned just after Karas retreated in mind as well. Who owns it will be important later, especially since it connects to the stranger Joseph saw in his dream back in the prologue.
> 
> Also, starting with this chapter, I'll be mentioning which JJBA characters had alternate versions show up here in the fic- even if its just a cameo.  
> 1\. Wamu/Wandorian Muselli= Wamuu the Pillar man. However, Wandorian here is completely human.   
> 2\. Caesar Demonia= Caesar Zeppeli.   
> 3\. Anthonio Demonia= Will A. Zeppeli.   
> 4\. Prince Jonathan White= Jonathan Joestar, who... isn't that different from his JJBA counterpart in terms of personality.   
> 5\. Carson the Bandit= Kars. Like Wandorian, Carson is also human.   
> 6.Carlos Sharifti= Santana the Pillarman, Carlos however, is a shape shifter instead of a human like the other Pillar Alts.  
> 7\. Ethereas Ghostwing= Kakyoin... though uh... This alternate is going to be a bit more complicated, you'll see why next chapter.   
> 8\. Diomarlon White= That's going to be saved for two chapters from now. You can still guess who he is though.
> 
> The next chapter will also reveal the name of Erina's double.
> 
> Anywho, Prince Ezio is a parody of Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed, and well... I couldn't resist having the Cabbage Merchant from Avatar the Last Air Bender having an alternate in Fanterra too. 
> 
> Of course, while Veronica does show off her Hamon abilities, she also performs the Zeppeli Seated Jump technique that Will and Caesar both did. I haven't actually read part seven myself, so I don't know if Gyro pulls off his own version, and I relied on the JJBA wiki for info about him more than anything. And yes, in the fic's timeline, there is a Gyro. Once again, he's descended from one of Caesar's four siblings, like Veronica.
> 
> Now, on the Arcana Magi... they're not stands. While Karas looks like Hierophant Green... the other Magi (Who may or may not appear later at some point) will not look like other stands from the series. So, no double of The World or Star Platinum. Also, the other two magi mentioned in the narrative- Aeon and Chance Mat, get their names from the Thoth Tarot deck (aeon, replacing Judgement) and the Tarot de Maleficas and Tarot of Marseilles for Chance Mat. 
> 
> Also, I do hope Joseph was in character during the bit with the foxes coming out of his body thanks to dead shapeshifter goo... even if that scene also means that Joseph has added a group of foxes to the Joestar Family Tree after fathering Josuke over in Part 4.
> 
> Finally, Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: The identity of Erina Joestar's double is revealed, Jotaro and Veronica share an... interesting dream, a feud ends at last, and one unlucky person gets the short end of the stick.


	5. If We Met in A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange dream is shared by both Veronica and Jotaro, and while Team Jojo is waiting for Pietro to awaken, Veronica, Ricky and Wamu begin their travels across Fanterra to search for the mysterious Ethereas Ghostwing, and also hunt down the murderer of Alan Lupo...
> 
> Trouble however, still looms on the horizon...

_"Where am I?"_ Veronica asked herself, remembering falling asleep in the guest room at Ricky Lupo's manor, before she found herself in a large room with several glass windows looking out into a forest, and the place itself looking like it was formed inside a tree with how it curved instead of having straight walls, along with how it didn't seem even the slightest bit man-made or carved, even with the amber-chandeliers shining above, and casting everything in a warm light. Veronica could also smell roses all around her, seeing a few growing on the walls as well as seeing thorny vines actually grow over them as well, she knew she definitely had to be in some sort of dream. There was no way a place like this could exist in real life, could it?

Of course, as she saw a mirror on one of the back walls while she looked around the room, she saw she wasn't in the simple, white nightgown she had on when she went to bed. Instead, she had on a long, sleek, backless, and sleeveless dark purple gown with a single bright red strip on her waist that pointed just below the navel, while more red could be seen at the bottom that seemed to spike upward about a foot from the hem, with a six-inch curve that between them that was half as tall and formed a sort floral look to it. The gown also had a high collar to it, and black, bat-like 'wings' at the small of her back that looped around and hugged her hips before stopping mid-thigh, invoking the idea that they were folded, rather than spread out and looking unwieldy design wise. Combined with the red gem on a black field just below her collarbone, and the tiara she had in her hair, the gown sort of reminded her of a bunch of tiny, bat-faced purple and black flowers she saw once, but never got to learn the actual name of.

Of course, as she also noticed she had on a mask, she noticed that it looked a lot like one that her cousin Gyro had given her during his last visit to America- a silver half-mask that had a butterfly design on one side, while the other half had been carefully shaped and molded to show a very intricate floral design, that even went over to the butterfly half as well. There weren't any large gemstones on it to make it look gaudy, only tiny ones here and there to add a little flash, but not completely overshadow the work that went into it either. As for other accessories, she noticed she had a pair of diamond earrings and bracelets on her wrists that continued the flower theme due to resembling with emerald leaves and a few ruby roses as well.

Overall, she looked rather gorgeous in the get up.

Of course, as she started to wonder why she was dressed like this, she saw people just appear around her, dancing and wearing masks and formal wear of their own, and if it weren't for the fact some had wings and others had parts humans normally didn't have, such as hooves and claws, she'd had at first thought they were all human.

_"I wonder what's going on here?"_ she thought, before she felt herself start moving on her own, none of the party goers getting in her way as she walked across a long carpet before stopping at a throne, where she saw a handsome man about her age with short, rose-pink hair that had a huge wavy forelock go over one of his violet eyes, ruby drop-styled earrings that resembled cherries, and wore a green and gold coat with a red rose embroidered over his heart, along with green, slightly baggy pants and black shoes. As Veronica noted that he also seemed to be wearing a beautiful red silk cape, her attention was mostly grabbed by the fact that his face was covered by a white mask that was much like some of the ones used at Carnival in Venice, or even Mardi Gras down in New Orleans- but with a neutral expression instead of being an exaggerated grin or frown like most of that type of mask. Further more, while the mask's lips were painted a soft pink, Veronica also noticed that it looked like flower petals were painted across it, while on his forehead, a red stone that seemed to perfectly mirror the blue one she had found at the airport was set into place, surrounded by very well detailed thorns and roses in a way that made it look like he was wearing a crown.

All in all, it was a combination of beauty, mystery and a hint of horror that made Veronica want to investigate further, instead of run away when the mysterious prince stood up and held his hand out to Veronica after he bowed to her, and she curtsied in response to him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, even if it is to just be in a dream for now." he then said as Veronica took his hand in her own, "My name... hmm... strange..."

"What's wrong?" Veronica asked, looking concerned towards the prince as he looked down at the floor for a bit, before turning his head towards her.

"I seem to be having trouble remembering my name... I think about it and... it's like I'm hit with memories of two lives. One in Fanterra, the other somewhere else." he said before giving a sad chuckle, "They last seventeen years each, oddly enough, and yet... I'm not quite sure how to explain it but both lives feel... right to me."

"Maybe you actually lived both of them?" Veronica suggested as the pair headed to the dance floor, "My name is Veronica Zeppeli by the way. Even if you can't figure out your own name for now... maybe you can at least know mine?"

"Thank you, Veronica." the prince said as the girl saw a slight smile in his eyes, "That is a lovely name, and fitting for one who looks as lovely as you."

"Oh! Um... th-thanks." Veronica said, blushing quite a bit as she just followed the man to the middle of the ballroom, "Though... I feel like I need to call you something at least... is there anything you can piece together from the two lives, even if it's not much of a name?"

"Perhaps..." the prince said, closing his eyes to think for a moment as the ballroom became silent while he mumbled to himself. "An older brother? No... an only child, yet... with some sort of guardian unseen by most? The lonely child I was in one life... or the Prince I am in my other one? I... I have to..."

As the Prince continued to struggle with the mess within his memories, the room around them began to shift and warp between the ballroom it was originally, to a strange mix between a Japanese home, a high school, an Egyptian ruin, the Ganges River, a mountain road and even parts of a cargo ship and a hospital. In fact, as she realized that even the other party goers were getting worried, especially when the cargo ship was the locale for a good few minutes, she felt she had to do something to help the man from potentially destroying himself.

"Hold still." Veronica said, closing her eyes and placing her hands behind the Prince's head, as she breathed and channeled the power of Hamon into his mind, "Just relax, and focus on one life for now."

The Prince shuddered for a moment as the energy flowed through him, the gem in his mask glowing gently while the one around Veronica's neck glowed slightly as well. As Veronica kept channeling into him, his mind started to clear a bit as the ballroom returned- though this time with a bit of influence from Japan's aesthetic in how the windows were designed, the scrolls hanging here and there, and how the chandeliers became floating paper lanterns.

In fact, once the Prince opened his violet eyes, he seemed to hold a hint of being more aware of things as he looked into Veronica's own as he spoke again.

"Thank you." he said, "While I'll admit, that I still have a mess in my mind... what you did helped greatly and I... I think I know my name. At least, the one for the life I had on Fanterra."

"What is it then?" Veronica asked politely as she could, while music began to play and Ethereas took her hands in his once more.

"You may call me Ethereas Ghostwing.... Would you like to dance?"

~0~

Elsewhere, around the same time Veronica found herself in the ballroom, someone else had arrived in the same dream.

Jotaro Kujo had found himself standing outside an ancient tree, wearing his uniform still as he noticed that the rose covered building showed signs of someone having cut a section of it that had black roses in bloom, while other blooms on the thing were in various shades of red, pink, yellow and even blue- much to his surprise. Of course, as he was alone for the moment, the stone-faced teen also noticed that the tree had also looked a lot like a building of some kind as he saw lights coming from a few windows, and for a moment, thought he saw a familiar young woman pass by one.

"Zeppeli-san?" he said, his dream self actually showing a tiny, tiny bit more emotion than in real life, and out of curiosity decided to head straight to the Palace-Tree's front door and walk right on in as he heard music play.

"May as well crash the party, and see what's happening." he then said to himself as he kicked the doors open and walked inside, and noticing his uniform change into a white and gold armored coat with just enough blue added in to give it an ocean motif, especially with the gold anchor pins that appeared on his collar and cuffs, his shirt going from a sleeveless, pale green one to a very formal deep blue one, and his pants were also now tucked into armored, knee-high brown boots, and he also saw that the chains of his usual coat were added to the new one, though this time, they were used to help close it slightly at the chest.

However, while he did note that the outfit was a bit on the expensive side in terms of appearance, he personally didn't think he'd wear anything like this in the near future before he noticed a couple of things that really annoyed him.

First, was the fact that he was now wearing a white, gold and blue half-mask that continued the oceanic theme for his current outfit.

Second, and more importantly, was the fact his hat was missing and his black hair was now exposed and looking almost as wild as his stand's. While it was shorter, it didn't help that he looked similar to his late ancestor Jonathan Joestar- with his original head rather than Dio's of course, but since he took after his father- a man who was barely around in his life due to being on tour more often than he could recall the blues player being at home, it took all of his will to keep from punching his reflection within the dream.

"I'm already hating this place." he said flatly as he let out a grunt before walking along, keeping an eye out for trouble as he noticed how eerie the inside of the palace was when it came to the fact that nothing looked like it was built, but rather like the castle formed as the tree actually grew. While his boots clicked against the wooden floor- polished and looking a little opalized in the light overhead, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched until he passed another mirror and stopped as he saw something next to him within the mirror.

A bloody phantom wearing a stone, fanged mask.

"Well... that's weird." he said dryly before shrugging it off and continuing onward while the phantom simply vanished and replaced by a new spirit that followed after Jotaro in silence- a kind looking man in a gorgeous looking suit from the Victorian era, and the only unmasked face Jotaro had seen so far, as he passed by what looked like faeries all dressed in fine clothes and wearing masks while also catching word of how a Prince had finally returned to their world. Of course, as Jotaro ignored the ghost whenever it tried to talk to him, the stone-faced teen simply kept walking before he saw something he hadn't seen since the final battle floating before him in the middle of the hallway.

Heirophant Green.

"What's that doing here?" Jotaro asked, still ignoring the ghost's comments and theories as he ran forward, not even caring that the phantom seemed a bit annoyed with him at the moment as the teen noticed the area around them shift and warp between the Eqyptian Desert, the nurse's office at his school back in Japan, the plane that was attacked by the Tower's user, China, India, even the Stand cargo ship known as Strength, itself. In fact, as Jotaro kept moving, he quickly realized what all these areas had in common: they were all places both he and Kakyoin were present for in their journey, before it seemed like the Tree Palace was fighting for stability or dominance to the other locations he recognized.

_"Just what the hell is going on?"_ he thought as he kept following Heirophant Green through all the chaos, even when some of the locations became places he didn't know at all until the place finally stabilized back into the place it was before- though he did notice the fact it now seemed to have a slight Japanese asthetic as well.

Of course, as he saw that his late friend's stand had stopped before a sliding door, Jotaro slowed down and realized in silence that this was where it was taking him, and he silently opened it to see the Ballroom.

There, he saw Veronica dancing with someone- the guests in the way making it difficult to make out who it was, but as he stayed and watched the girl and her partner twirl, waltz, step and other moves through the room to the music, it was when the guests stopped their own dance and clapped to the music that he saw the man dancing with her have his cape spread into a pair of red, butterfly-like wings as he rose into the air for one final move, taking Veronica with him as they spun close together as they rose, before he lifted her over his head for a moment as he descended. In fact, when the two landed, the pair ended up dancing faster and faster as the music picked up pace for the finale, before ending with the apparent host dipping Veronica and letting his wings rest against his body like a cape once more.

Of course, now that he had a better look at the host, Jotaro could tell, even with the mask covering his face who it was just by the hair, earrings and general color-scheme of his clothes.

"Kakyoin?" he then said, silence suddenly filling the room as his voice echoed, catching the attention of not just the now standing straight Veronica, but also her dance partner. While the rose-themed mask kept his expression mostly neutral, Jotaro could see the man's eyes widen in recognition.

_"Jo...Jotaro?"_

That was all he could hear as Veronica suddenly vanished from sight, while Jotaro himself woke up from the dream as all around him went dark while he heard his friend shout and try to say something to him as his voice faded away.

~0~

As the early morning sun hit Jotaro's face through the window, the slightly annoyed teen sat up in his bed and quickly picked up his hat after seeing it had managed to fall off during the night.

"Good grief..." he said to himself while glancing over at Pietro Aifread- the still sleeping stag located in a separate bed across from his own in the room. It was thanks to a rather unexpected young woman that they were able to find a place to stay until their guide woke up again, especially after the disaster at the Sharifti inn caused both him, and his grandfather some unneeded trouble.

Of course, as his thoughts went back to his dream, he couldn't help but wonder what the hell was up with that place, and why Kakyoin of all people looked like some sort of faerie prince in the end. Not to mention that thing with the ghost he pretty much ignored throughout the whole thing.

_"I'm not sure if that was better or worse than the one with Kakyoin and the egg."_ he thought to himself, shuddering slightly as he remembered that nightmare.

~0~

_"Veze! Will you just wake up already!?"_

That was the voice Veronica had woken up to, the sky in Ringaia still showing the stars overhead as it began to shift from night to day. Of course, as she shivered a bit as she started to register the world around her, she realized a couple of things.

First, she was on the balcony attached to her room. Second, she was being held tightly by Ricky Lupo, the wolf's golden eyes filled with concern as he had stopped shaking his guest.

"What are we doing out here?" Veronica asked sleepily, and seeing Ricky look at her in surprise for a moment before he sighed and let the young woman go as he stepped away to reveal he was just wearing a pair of long, white cotton pants and showed his bare feet, his rather well sculpted body for his frame- not exactly a body builder like Wamu, but certainly fit enough for a male model that just so happened to know how to actually fight rather than just sit and look pretty. Furthermore, his long hair wasn't tied back as usual, the dark silver locks going down to his mid-back and hanging loosely around his shoulders.

Though, now that she had a chance to take a look, she did note that the nails on both his fingers and toes were very similar to short claws and while it made sense enough for his hands, it was kind of weird to see his feet like that as well.

"You were sleepwalking." Ricky then said after he ran his fingers through his hair, "I woke up thirty minutes ago to personally get you up so we can go on and pack for the road and get out of here after I take care of a little extra business this morning and when I saw you walk out of your room and onto the balcony, I rushed in to wake you up before you did something that would have gotten you killed."

Sensing the implications, Veronica didn't ask anymore about that as she figured out that even if she wasn't heading that way, he probably still reacted just in case.

"Listen, Veze." Ricky then said as he saw the Ripple Master look worried as well, "I need to know if this has ever happened before, and if not... what do you think might have caused this."

"It hasn't." Veronica answered plainly, "All I know was that I was dreaming about that guy who rescued me and-"

"That faerie right?" Ricky said, getting a nod from Veronica as he remembered what she told both him and Wamu before. Of course, as he soon let out an annoyed growl, he then continued, "Great. I don't know if putting you in that situation or not was intentional, but if he's contacting you in your dreams? We're gonna definitely have to put finding him higher up on the priority list before I take care of my own problems regarding my brother's killer."

"Why's that?" Veronica asked, having made it quite clear that she wasn't exactly well-versed when it came to the fair folk and other things related to them.

"Because if this keeps happening on the road, then it means he'll want you to find him, even if it means puppeteering your sleeping body to do it. If that's the case, then... we're gonna have to restrain you whenever we make camp, and keep any room you have at an inn during our travels under-guard until we find this hero of yours, just so you don't wander off and get into a lot of trouble." Ricky then explained as he then let out a groan, "Which means that if some knight or wannabe hero comes up on our camp during the night and sees you tied up... that's going to be a pain in the ass to explain."

"Oh great... I get to be tied up or something every night we're not at an inn." Veronica said flatly, while also knowing that considering the circumstances, it was for her safety- implications to an outsider aside anyway. "I'll help you find something that I can't take out easily with my powers."

"Thanks." Ricky said, before walking with Veronica back inside, "Though... let's handle that _after_ you get dressed, ok?"

Flinching a bit as she remembered she was still in her nightgown, Veronica just walked a bit faster into the manor, the wolf snickering a bit to himself as he moved ahead of her to give her some privacy.

~0~

Back in Gem Hill, Joseph Joestar turned on his side as morning came, grumbling as he heard someone enter the room while he tried to get back to sleep.

"C'mon Suzie..." he mumbled as he kept his eyes shut and wrapped himself up in the sheets, "I'm 65 and I've just went through hell for the second time in my damn life, I can sleep in if I want..."

_"Really? I never pegged you for being an old man, since you look to be about 20 at the most."_ A young woman's voice said, causing Joseph's eyes to snap open as he immediately sat up. Looking down at his hands and chest and noting that they were indeed youthful, he realized that the events of yesterday had actually happened with how he mysteriously became a young man again in this world of Fanterra, the fact he accidentally released a deer man from a mirror, and most importantly, the fact he and his grandson were dragged into another adventure because of a girl that was in trouble.

Again.

Of course, as he looked to the side and saw his host in the manor that he and Jotaro managed to stay at for the night, he sighed as he awkwardly looked away from the blond young woman holding a tray covered in pancakes, toast, bacon and eggs along with tea to drink, butter, jelly and syrup to use and so on and so forth. Mainly because of what happened when he met her yesterday, and after calling her "Granny Erina" was swiftly smacked and corrected by the woman herself that the doppelganger was named Irene Almandine- and she just so happened to be the one whose family was in charge of Gem Hill.

Of course, as he glanced at her again as she set the tray down on his lap and pulled out a few gems, he could tell from her annoyed expression that he not only just mistook her for someone else once again, but she had caught it too.

"Something bothering you, Mister Joestar?" Irene then said as Joseph nibbled away at his breakfast, while the formerly old man simply noticed she was using a five inch long, and four inch wide calcite lens to look at him as it magnified her eyes from his point of view, "My scanning spell shows that you're mostly fine, physically- except for what looks like some gallstones and what's left of a few battle injuries that are having me question how both you and your friend can even be _alive,_ but there does seem to be a bit of emotional trouble as well."

"That rock told you all of that?" Joseph asked in disbelief, while earning a glare from his host, and thanks to the gem she was using, that made things a bit worse.

"Yes, it did." she said flatly, "I said yesterday that I was a gem witch, weren't you even listening?"

"Uh... not really, no." Joseph said bluntly, only to be smacked upside the head again by the woman, "Ow! Is everyone in this town prone to violence or something!?"

"Only when we have a disrespectful guest in our homes." Irene said, "As for Carlos, Shapeshifters are usually temperamental when it comes to the primordia left behind by their loved ones. It's a shame that Sharon died though, she... she was a good friend."

"How'd she end up like that, anyway?" Joseph asked as Irene put the lens down and took a fist-sized, bright turquoise colored stone that was held by a clip pinned to her dress and held it over the man, "I think San--- I mean _Carlos_ said something about her allergies, but well, I didn't exactly get a chance to ask about that."

"From what I can guess, someone at the new bakery that opened yesterday had insisted she try something with cinnamon in it, and well... unintentionally killed her." Irene said, before she closed her eyes and focused a bit as the stone in her hand began to glow and Joseph felt his injuries from the battle with Dio were healed, "I don't know why cinnamon does that to shapeshifters, but if it's not eaten, they just sweat out green slime for a bit if they smell it. Either way, father is going to have the town militia investigate this afternoon, so hopefully we'll be able to deliver justice swiftly."

With that said, she then took the calcite lens in hand again, and looked through it before she frowned, just as Alphonse the alphyn slipped into the room and laid his head on the bed next to Joseph. As the Brunette scratched behind the beast's ears with his metal hand, he then heard what was on Irene's mind.

"It seems that while your physical wounds are all healed up, I'm still picking up something bothering you emotionally- judging by the shadow over your heart." she said, "Will you please tell me what's bothering you?"

"Can't you just use magic to heal that too, like you did with everything else?" Joseph asked, causing Irene to look horrified at the suggestion.

"Physical pain is one thing, but healing emotional pain with magic? That's as dangerous as trying to remove a faerie blessing or curse someone has had since birth!" she said, "If I did that, I'd not only risk destroying a part of your very soul, but I'd end up suffering the same fate as that mage group known as The Hand, and... well, I just don't want that to happen!"

"What happened to The Hand?" Joseph asked, before he raised his own mechanical one and made a rather grim sounding joke, "Did they lose themselves fighting a monster on an island with an active volcano?"

"No... much worse." Irene said, "I was in Spherean at the time, still continuing my studies when The Hand was about to try and usurp the gods themselves. I can't remember all of their names, but they consisted of Koschei the necromancer, Netanel the practitioner of the highly unpopular 'Seior' school of magic, a mage who can only use spells of destruction and was rumored to be a walking magical disaster waiting to explode if he didn't destroy things, a mage that specialized in summoning and binding demons, and a diviner. From what I remember, it was thanks to a fae known as Renee Zavriel that their plans were revealed and their fates consisted of the Diviner being sent to Hell itself, the demon specialist and the walking disasters getting stripped of their magic and forced to retire, Koschei being eaten by the dreaded Vararch, as for Netanel..."

Irene then paled a bit as she thought about the last member of The Hand, "No one knows what happened to him, but if the rumors about him being punished by Marik Zavriel and the Barghest Lord of all Hellhounds is true... then it must have been terrifying."

"Okay... so... no magic emotional healing. Got it." Joseph said after the explanation, "So, I guess I need to tell you what's bothering me, huh?"

"Yes." Irene said, seeming rather insistent on moving on to a different subject, "Does this have anything to do with why you called me 'Granny Erina' yesterday? I know I asked you before, but you were insistent on avoiding the question for some reason."

"Uh... yeah... about that..." Joseph then said out of embarrassment, "You kind of look like how my grandmother did when she was younger. So, uh, I guess I was so overcome with shock at seeing you, it uh... slipped out."

"I see." Irene said with a smile, before chuckling a bit, "Well, I'm certain my betrothed, Jonathan will find this rather funny."

"Jonathan?" Joseph then said, "Huh, believe it or not that was my grandfather's name, Jonathan Joestar. I... don't know much about him unfortunately, he died long before I was born to be honest. Went down on a burning ship during his and Granny Erina's honeymoon fighting his adoptive brother that turned into a vampire, Granny Erina and my own mother were the only survivors, with my father being born months after that."

"Your grandparents must have been very brave." Irene said rather nicely, before looking a bit concerned, "Though... erm, not meaning to imply anything but how do you know Jonathan was your grandfather? If he died during the honeymoon..."

"Because he had the same birthmark me and my own grandson Jotaro have." Joseph then said, before he tilted his head a bit and showed the purple star mark near his neck, "My father had it too, and my own daughter has it as well."

Irene then looked at the mark, before something Joseph had said registered. "Wait, Jotaro's your grandson? I had assumed you two were half-brothers at the least!"

"Nope, grandson. My only daughter's his mother after all." he then said with a smile, "Sure, he's pretty unreadable emotionally, and can be pretty rough around the edges, but he's a good kid."

"Well, not completely unreadable." Irene said as she held up her lens, "Using this, I can tell he's got a lot of emotional problems, but he's not exactly one to talk about them. Certainly the complete opposite of my betrothed."

"So, what's he like, anyway?" Joseph asked as he started eating more of his breakfast- if only because Alphonse threatened to devour it all if he didn't as the alphyn had tried to lick one of the plates.

"Oh, Jonathan is such a wonderful man!" Irene said with a smile, "He's kind-hearted, honorable, and he's just the kind of Prince Charming who's willing to beat his enemy down, and if he senses even a tiny bit of good in them, will personally nurse them back to health and even spoon feed them if he must! He's also a bit of an awkward man to speak with at times, but that's just part of why I like him. Even if he has a habit of helping everyone he can with their problems, he doesn't even do it for a reward, but because he feels it's the right thing to do."

"Sounds a bit like my own grandfather, what I heard about him from Uncle Speedwagon anyway." Joseph said, and silently wondered just what Irene's betrothed looked like, though he did have a hunch it'd be the spitting image of Jonathan Joestar.

"Then your grandfather was a great man, if he's anything like my beloved." Irene said with a smile, "Though, his father, King White himself is a good man as well, the fact he could be mistaken for Jonathan's brother at first can make things a little... embarrassing."

"Can't be that bad." Joseph said with a chuckle, only for Irene to turn to the dresser and pull out a small picture from one of the drawers.

"Here's the painting Jonathan made for me a year ago." Irene said as she showed it to him, "Jonathan is the one seated and holding his half-brother Gino, while behind them is his father and step-mother."

Joseph then looked at the painting and focused on the king standing behind the prince. While Jonathan White did indeed look similar to a picture he saw once of his grandfather, the man standing behind him though, was extremely similar to someone else. As Joseph then paled as he recognized who the king was he then set the tray aside, snatched the picture and got out of bed.

"Excuse me for a moment, I uh... got to talk to Jotaro about something." he then said, before running out of the room and screaming his grandson's name as he went to the room across the hall, leaving Irene alone with Alphonse, and wondering just what came over her guest.

~0~

In Bella Aquae, at the bridge connecting the Lupo and Red estates, Ricky Lupo stood with his entire family on his side of the bridge, waiting for the other family to show up and ready to settle their feud once and for all. As Luna, Caesar and Wamu came up behind him on the bridge, while Veronica stayed on the wolves' side to watch from the street, everyone could spot the upcoming sea of red cloaks heading their way, with the old man, Cameo Red himself in the lead carrying a large basket with the help of a younger man.

Once the two men reached the bridge, the rest of the Red family stopped and watched as the two headed towards Ricky himself, just as a gondola bearing the Royal Seal of Ringaia- the twelve figures surrounding a lion holding a ring, arrived and piloted by a beaten up Ezio, while shaded from view was the King, cutting a rather handsome silhouette while surrounded by a translucent tent, before it opened slightly and the man himself stood and opened it up to reveal his pale brown hair and kind face as he showed his royal, green robes and emerald studded gold crown as he gave a signal for the two to begin a rather important event in the kingdom's history.

"Richard Remus Lupo." Cameo then said, his voice still sounding as strong as it did in his youth in spite of his old age, "Centuries ago, your ancestor- the original Big Bad Wolf Minerva Lupo, made a deal with my own ancestor, Julia Red for a basket containing enough food to be considered a feast for one mother and seven children, after she had saved my ancestor's life. However... when Julia's grandmother gave your ancestor a family heirloom as payment, she became jealous and decided to go back on her promise when confronted about it."

Cameo then paused, looking rather regretful as he continued, "Julia's actions back then, especially as she spread lies about what led to Minerva's death was what began the Blood Feud between our families. Not an act of self defense like we've claimed for centuries, but... an act of cold blooded murder. This feud... _this feud_ has caused both families nothing but pain, and so... in order to end it, I, Cameo Red have decided to honor the original promise made to Minerva- one basket containing a feast for eight, and also... I return to you the heirloom that rightfully belongs to you. All I ask that you accept and end this feud and the senseless slaughter once and for all."

Ricky was silent for a moment, all eyes on him as both Lupos and Reds looked at him in anticipation, and also hope. He knew full well that both families had lost loved ones to the feud, even Cameo's own daughter Elizabeth died during the incident that took Ricky's own father from him years ago. That incident of course, was what ended up causing Cameo to open his eyes to the pointlessness of the entire thing, and start agreeing to meetings with Alan, and both continue the work that Elizabeth and Ares had done in secret and bring it out in the open.

"Cameo Straizo Red, I believe that if Minerva, my father Ares, my brother Alan and even your daughter Elizabeth were here, they'd agree that this feud had gone on far too long and so... I happily accept this basket and...Hm?" Ricky then said, taking the basket and opening it up to examine the contents, and seeing all sorts of carefully wrapped meat, vegetables and fruit that could be cooked as well as a few desserts, he nodded as he couldn't detect any poison with his nose, before noticing something glint before reaching in and pulling out a gorgeous looking gold amulet that looked like a dragon with its oddly feathery wings spread, and a large, deep purplish-blue gem held in the dragon's claws. As Ricky whistled and held it up, he then spoke again.

"...Was this the thing that Julie killed Minerva over?"

"Yes." Cameo said with a nod, "The legendary stone of the lost kingdom of Draconia known as the Heart of Draco. A Tanzanite so dark and yet flawless when discovered, that it was believed to have come from a Crystal Dragon itself. While it can bless its owner with good fortune and protection, the stone is rather choosy about who it considers its owner, and so if it does not stay with the family of it's chosen owner, it will curse those who stole it or kept it from that owner's family with tragedy after tragedy until they return it."

"So, what's it mean when one of the eight edges starts glowing?" Ricky then asked, pointing to the gem as the eight sided stone's southeastern side shone, causing Cameo to shrug as the wolf then turned and saw the glowing side change until he faced his bodyguard, the Northern edge glowing brightly towards the bodyguard as the wolf figured out his ownership of the stone was very short lived.

"Hey Wamu, come here for a sec." Ricky then said, getting his bodyguard's attention.

"Yes, Master Richard?" the gladiator then asked, bending down a bit as he towered over his charge, only to be surprised as the wolf slipped the amulet on the warrior's neck, took a step back and smiled.

"Happy Birthday." Ricky then said with a smile, "I know you just wanted this feud to end instead of a party and a lot of gifts this year but... eh, looks like you got something extra anyway."

"Thank you." Wamu said quietly, blushing a bit from embarrassment as everyone's attention was on him, before Ricky went back to the business at hand.

"Now, as I was saying..." Ricky then said, "Cameo Straizo Red, I happily accept this basket and Wamu's new amulet, and as the Big Bad Wolf, I declare this feud over for the Lupo Family!"

"And I, Declare the same for the Red Family." Cameo said and both sides cheered as the two men shook hands, "Now, I assume you'll be heading off to hunt down Amelia?"

"Yeah." Ricky said with a nod, "Considering who she was to you... are you sure it's okay I take her down for what she did to Allu?"

"Yes." Cameo said with a nod, "Despite who she used to be to this family, her... recent action was too far, and has caused her to be disowned by the Reds. Amelia is no longer my heir, and now is just a monster that... that _needs_ to be slain. Good luck on your hunt Richard, with her knowledge of magic... _you'll need it."_

"Thank you, Care." Ricky said, and as the King sensed the moment was over, continued his ride through the city, while the two families that had for so long been enemies turned around and headed home- not a single drop of blood shed, and the feud finally over.

All because of a single basket of food, and a necklace.

~0~

Later that afternoon, once matters were settled and Luna was put in place as Temporary Big Bad Wolf while Ricky was away, and also making sure she'd know how to handle the criminal side of the family business while working with the law as King Tonio's informant, Ricky Lupo, Wandorian Muselli and Veronica Zeppeli were traveling towards the Northern Gate of the city to head inland and begin their quest to first find the mysterious Ethereas Ghostwing, and also hunt down and serve justice to the witch Amelia Red for murdering Ricky's brother.

While Ricky and Wamu were in their usual outfits consisting of a gray suit for Ricky and the bits of armor that covered up Wamu- now with the addition of the Heart of Draco around his neck, Veronica was wearing a set of her new traveling clothes. This outfit consisted of a pale blue shirt with white rings embroidered on to it that invoked the idea of ripples on a lake, along with brown leather pants and sturdy brown boots that were decorated with gold buckles and a golden snake eating its tail on the toes. She also had her shirt covered by a dark blue vest made of spider silk that had silver threads running through it here and there to give it a bit of a shine- and also apparently make it sturdier with a bit of magic in case of trouble, with her antique watch safely in one of the vest's pockets, and the chain clipped to her belt in case it fell out or someone tried to steal it. Her vest was also buttoned up halfway- the three buttons that would have hidden her average looking chest remaining open for now and showing the shirt underneath it. She also had on a black headband to keep her hair out of her eyes, and the golden collar with the large blue gem attached to it- not that she could take it off anyway, as she discovered last night as she found there wasn't even a clasp on it to unhook. Finally, she had on her black and white checkered scarf, something she considered the most important part of her outfit as she flipped one end over her shoulder while she got out of the gondola they rode to the gate.

Taking a moment to stretch and of course strike a pose with her arms spread out wide before raising them over her head and locking her wrists together as she walked forward a bit and popped the bones in her back and neck, Veronica then thought about how Ricky made sure their gear- including a few bottles of wine to use as "Ripple Cannons" in case of trouble on the road, and also several bottles of olive oil she could use to coat something like a knife or a sword and turn them into ripple weapons- and also ease Ricky's wallet since olive oil was much cheaper to get in large amounts, than what could be used in a lamp.

Not to mention it smelled a lot better than fish oil in her opinion.

"So, we just exit through the gate, and we'll get our stuff on a cart waiting for us outside, right?" Veronica asked Ricky, who nodded with a smile.

"Yep, should be faster for us to use one anyway, rather than lug everything around on foot, plus it should help us stay out of the courts for the other rich folk. Sure, having connections through the nobility in other kingdoms can be useful, but since our quests here are more 'Search for a guy and hunt down and kill a murderer' there are some people out there who don't want to help out their peers. The nobles think we're just travelers with supplies passing through, and they'll usually leave us alone unless there's a small crisis in town that requires outside help due to local law-enforcement being out of their league, or too cowardly."

"...Or because some nobles aren't able to own up to their misdeeds, and need someone to get them out of a bad deal they willingly made." Wamu said coldly as both Ricky and Veronica noticed their large friend clench a fist as he seemed to think about something. As Veronica looked towards the Big Bad Wolf however, she noticed he seemed to know who Wamu was talking about as he just lowered the brim of his hat over his eyes, and frowned a bit out of concern.

"Wamu, are you--" Veronica said, only to be interrupted by the voice of one Officer Riley Day, who she met shortly after telling her story to Ricky and Wamu, and who Veronica wasn't too fond of at the moment, due to how the red-head pretty much interrogated her like she had done a crime without realizing it.

"Lupo!" Riley had said, surprising Ricky as the three had reached the gate.

"Oh, hey Rida, what's going on?" the wolf then asked, only for Riley to walk up to him, grab his arms, and pull him towards her to kiss him right on the lips. Caught by surprise as his tail stood straight up, he could only stare in shock as she pulled away and spoke.

"I may not be able to leave the city due to my job on the Watch, but I will help make sure Luna doesn't get into too much trouble while your gone." Riley then said as she blushed a bit and still acted like she hadn't just kissed the man, "Just, promise me you'll come back alive, and once you do get back? I'll go walk with you on the beach or something, ok?"

"You mean it, Rida?" Ricky asked, looking rather hopeful, and after getting a nod, quickly kissed her back and grinned while his tail wagged around happily, "Don't you worry your lovely red head over me, Officer! I'll make sure we have that walk- and perhaps dinner, before I'd let anyone put me down!"

"Don't push your luck on Dinner." Riley said, pulling something out of her belt pouch and placing it in Ricky's hand, "And consider that a reminder about what's waiting for you when you get back... though, if I learn you forgot about me? I'm going to hunt you down, punch your face in and drag you back to Bella Aquae- my job be damned, got it?"

"Like I'd ever forget about a gal like you." Ricky teased as he opened his hand up and whistled as he saw a square of leather that had a metal shield attached to it with the words, 'City Watch, Trussardi District' surrounding the Cacciatori family's royal seal. "Ain't this your pop's old badge?"

"Yeah, figured you could use all the good luck you can get, Lu... Ricky." Riley said as she crossed her arms, "And if you see my older brother while you're on the road--"

"I'll be sure to give him the message, don't worry Rida." Ricky said with a smile as he tucked the badge into his vest pocket and moved to hug her, before he stopped and simply gave her a formal salute instead, "Hope you don't get bored without me around to bug you, Rida."

"Just get going." She said, "You have a killer to catch, remember?"

Before Ricky could answer she then left the group, heading to a gondola of her own and piloting it herself through the canals, and as Veronica could tell there was definitely something going on between her and Ricky, it seemed to have been the kind of thing where he just insisted on trying to get a date out of her, before she finally gave in to give the wolf a chance. Of course, as Ricky started walking again, a smile on his face, a spring in his step and his tail wagging happily as he hummed to himself, once they were through the gate, Veronica had to cover her ears as he let out a howling cheer.

_"Whoo hooooo! I got myself a date!"_

A little later, they would find the cart waiting for them, and once Ricky and Veronica got in the back, and made sure their supplies were tied down, Ricky's good mood turned to unease as he remembered who was going to be driving during their journey once Wamu sat down behind the two horses.

"Uh... you may want to hold on to something." Ricky said, using one hand to hold his hat down on his head, while using the other to grip onto a rope keeping their camp-gear in the cart.

"Why?" Veronica asked, unaware that Wamu was now grinning like a madman as he let out a "Hya!" to get the cart going, and also speeding up enough that they were moving pretty fast.

"Because Wamu likes to drive like he's still racing chariots in the Arena!" Ricky then said as the cart bounced over the bumps in the road and Veronica held onto the food supplies for dear life.

~0~

The following day in Miravel, two figures on horseback would ride down the road at dawn, one was the raven-haired and blue eyed prince of Miravel, Jonathan White, who wore light armor with the crest of his family- an apple being reflected in a mirror that was half-covered by a veil, and sat atop a white horse with a fiery temper to all but his current rider. At his side however, was a man with long, blond hair going down to his mid-back while it remained nice and short at the front, brown eyes, and a handsome, blemish free face. This man was garbed in silver armor, a bladed shield at his side, a short sword at his other side and a feathered cap on his head while he rode on a mighty black stallion.

"Prince Jonathan!" the armored man said as he tried to keep up with the prince, "Will you slow down!? You're riding as if it's the end of the bloody world!"

"Sorry Sir Swiftcart!" Jonathan said with a smile as he slowed down his horse, West Wind a bit, "I'm just excited to see Irene after all, and we're only another day away from Gem Hill as well!"

Robert Swiftcart, the newly selected Mirror Knight and appointed guardian of the Royal Family of Miravel by Pietro Aifread himself. Able to scry for information, use their shields and enchanted helmet- or in his case, a cap due to wanting to look fashionable without getting helmet hair, to see through lies and illusions to find the truth, and overall, the most investigative Royal Knight of the kingdoms. His weapons of choice were the traditional bladed throwing shield and a short sword for close-range combat and a force to be reckoned with when well trained. As the Mirror Knight was usually a man-or woman of the people, the title usually went to those who have a background of being intuitive troublemakers most of the time, be they meddlers, honorable rogues or in Swiftcart's case, just a lucky interference.

In other words, they were petty criminals given a second chance over jail time.

"We'd be there sooner if you hadn't stopped in the last town to get three cats down from a tree, help twelve old ladies across the street and also substitute for a history class at a local academy." Swiftcart then said flatly, while Jonathan chuckled and blushed from embarrassment.

"Just trying to do good like Pietro taught me." Jonathan said as West Wind rolled his eyes, "Besides, the students loved the lecture I gave on the era of the Blue Faerie Empire. I could be a professor if I ever get tired of studying Archaeology in all honesty!"

"Most of those students were girls, and they were most likely attracted to you and could try to get in your good graces so they have a shot at the throne, you're highness." Swiftcard said dryly, and earning him a bit of confusion from the prince.

"Why would they?" he asked, "I'm happily engaged to Irene, and I'd never go behind her back with another person, everyone knows that."

"Well, some women are---" Swiftcart began to say, only to be interrupted as the horses started to get antsy, and caused the knight to pull on his steed's reigns "Easy there Dream Weaver, let's not get lost in the heat of the moment, aye?"

Looking around as he sensed trouble on the horizon, Swiftcart had his shield at the ready for an attack, only for both men to be caught off guard as black tendrils rose up out of the shadows and grabbed their horses' necks before throwing both of them to the ground. Though the two men survived, their horses weren't so lucky with their necks broken as the killer rose out of the ground- a black monster with silver armor and eyes that caused the mirror knight to gasp in fear.

"What the bloody hell is that!?" he said, before throwing his shield at the monster only to see it catch the weapon in hand- the tendrils it summoned retreating into its body as it examined the weapon in eerie silence before throwing it back at the owner. As Swiftcart barely dodged the shield as it scraped loudly against his armor, he ended up tumbling down a small slope to the side of the road and landed in a ditch. As he rushed back up upon hearing the prince shout and try to attack however, he was about to try and ambush the monster- only to freeze as the thing had Jonathan by the neck, tightening its grip as he seemed to be choking the life out of the man.

"Let go of him you bastard!" Swiftcart yelled, before he rolled to grab his shield off the ground and threw it at the monster. While smirking as he scored a direct hit on the monster's back, he soon noticed that the prince was not yet released and growled. Of course, as the monster then turned its head completely around to face Swiftcart, the blond swore the monster was glaring at him as it summoned a portal and sent out a flurry of black stones that were sharp enough to cut through his armor, cut his left cheek down to the jaw, and even pummel him a bit as he hit the ground cursing that he didn't get his shield back this time. Next thing he knew, the monster had stretched his other hand like dough to grab Swiftcart and chuck him through a new portal as Jonathan passed out and took the prince with it through a third one.

Hitting the ground hard on the other side and watching the portal he came through vanish, the last thing Sir Swiftcart would even register in his mind, was the fact that he could hear voices heading towards him in a panic before the world went dark.

~0~

In the Almandine manor, Irene was sitting in a chair in worry, after the villagers had brought her a badly injured Robert Swiftcart, and though Joseph had offered to help the man he claimed looked like a younger versions of his "Uncle Speedwagon"- especially once she tired from using too much magic to actually stabilize the barely breathing man, she couldn't help but refuse to believe that he had any ability to heal someone at all. Joseph however, managed to prove her wrong as he used a strange power to help heal up the rest of Swiftcart's wounds as much as possible.

Of course, once the man had woken up and told her, Joseph, and Jotaro- who wandered in after Alphonse charged in to pounce on the knight, Swiftcart ended up explaining just what had happened to cause his injuries, and also what he saw happen to Jonathan before the portal he was sent through closed and be passed out.

Her betrothed had been kidnapped.

What was worse, the monster that kidnapped him happened to be the same one that apparently caused Joseph and Jotaro to arrive from another world- something they called "Heirophant Black!" She had noted that the two men were oddly dressed, but only because she assumed they were foreigners from another country, she hadn't even considered the possibility of other worlds, and that revelation along with Swiftcart's complaining at the moment as she listened to him whine about how if Joseph hadn't shattered the mirror Pietro was in, then Jonathan wouldn't have been in danger.

She had no real idea what to do in all honesty as she began to tune out Swiftcart's ranting that night, thinking instead on the mistrust her other two guests- or at least, Joseph did as Jotaro was much harder to read, when King Diomarlon's name was mentioned. Was there a version of her future father in law, that had harmed them somehow? It made sense, considering how Joseph acted when he saw the White Family portrait the day before, but just because there was an evil man that had Diomarlon's face in their world, didn't mean that the man she knew was the exact same one!

Frowning a she continued to think, she soon made a decision. She knew the two men and Pietro would probably be leaving as soon as the stag woke up, but if her Jonathan was in danger...

_"Like it or not... I'm going with them to save the man I love. I refuse to just sit by and worry, when my dear Jojo may be killed if he isn't rescued, or worse... forced to marry some other woman when he promised to marry me! If he had his memory altered by magic, I swear I'll remind him, even if I have to kidnap him back to do so! I'm not some weak little princess that can't do anything on her own. Not anymore."_ she thought to herself, and with that goal in mind, she stood up and left the room, planning to get some things ready for the road ahead.

_"Looks like I may need to call in that little favor I'm owed earlier than I thought. I know I'm going to get hell for it, but I have a good feeling that The Slayer may just be needed after all."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Shit hit the fan hasn't it? Though, at least the prince's future wife is willing to help save him... though I wonder who "The Slayer" may turn out to be?
> 
> Anywho, time for some author's notes!
> 
> 1\. This chapter's title came from a Kamen Rider song called "If We Met in a Dream." I'm pretty sure it's from something related to Den-O, but it's been a while so I could be wrong. Also, last chapter's title came from a song of the same name that was in a Disney Short. Featuring the 3 little pigs.
> 
> 2\. Here are the Alternates showing up/mentioned for the first time in this chapter:  
> Irene Almandine= Erina Pendleton. As you can see, she's got more of a temper than Erina,   
> Robert Swiftcart= Good ol' Speedwagon. Though... Swiftcart may not be as loveable as his Jojoverse counterpart.  
> Cameo Red= Straizo. Unlike his JJBA counterpart, Cameo Red was not afraid of growing old.  
> Elizabeth Red= Lisa Lisa.   
> King Tonio Cacciatori= Tonio Trussardi.  
> Ethereas Ghostwing= Kakyoin... and may actually BE Kakyoin as well, considering what happened during his appearance early on in the chapter.
> 
> 3\. Veronica's outfit from her dream was inspired by the Bat Faced Cuphea, which is a pretty neat flower in my opinion- go look up a pic yourself when you get the chance!
> 
> Also, Jotaro's outfit inside the dream palace is pretty much a fancier and slightly armored version of his Part 4 outfit. 
> 
> Anyway, that's all for now. If I missed something, feel free to comment about it and I'll be more than happy to clear up any questions you readers have as well... well, as long as the questions don't involve spoilers.
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Pietro awakens!


	6. Servant of "Evil"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro awakens at last and learns what happened the past three days. Of course, both team Jojo and Team Zeppeli also get into contact with each other, and set up a plan...

Three days ago, Pietro Aifread fell asleep for the first time in two hundred long, rather lonely years. It was a wonderful nap, filled with dreams of gorgeous flowers and family members that weren't turned to stone, spending days with a living Maleen, and of course seeing his sister's wedding. However, even in his dreams he knew they were just that- dreams. The stag couldn't lie to anyone, not even himself at any time, especially in the illusions created in his own mind as he slept. The fact he knew that everything that had played around him wasn't true, and especially in regards to Maleen, they never would be. So, he just enjoyed what he could for now, but as he came to terms with his own failures and what he learned from them, he knew he couldn't just waste time in a lie, after all he still had to help the two men who were responsible for his freedom in the first place and Pietro was never exactly one to leave a debt unpaid.  
  
So, after three days had past, the former Magic Mirror opened his eyes to the morning sun, half expecting a peaceful morning filled with easing concerns and having a good laugh, while also expecting something to go wrong- as there was always a chance that it will.  
  
As he saw Jotaro looking stone-faced as usual, yet slightly annoyed- or so Pietro assumed since it was difficult to tell just what Jotaro Kujo was thinking, as well as Joseph downright glaring at him, he sighed as he realized that this was definitely the latter.  
  
"I take it I did something to anger both of you?" Pietro asked, knowing from personal experience that when he woke up to a glare, it was usually his fault somehow. As he was answered with both of them nodding, he then sighed and spoke up, "If it's about passing out- do you two realize how tired one can get when they spend two centuries without any sleep? I apologize for worrying you if I had, but I didn't even expect that to happen even if I was to be released from that damn mirror at all."  
  
"That, we're forgiving you for." Joseph then said, "However... that _isn't_ what we're angry about."  
  
"Then... what is it?" Pietro asked, clearly not understanding what the problem was at the moment.  
  
"Does the name DIO mean anything to you?" Jotaro then asked, causing more confusion for the stag.  
  
"Well, King Diomarlon has been called 'Dio White' in the past, but I still don't see what the problem is." Pietro said, only for Jotaro to grab the stag by the white shirt he had on and lift him up off the bed.  
  
"Did you tell Diomarlon about us?" Jotaro asked coldly, "How do we know you didn't fake being asleep at one point to contact him during the past three days?"  
  
"How could I do anything while I was asleep!?" Pietro asked, "I've never acted or spoke in my sleep, and I don't even know if I _can_ contact people anymore now that I'm flesh and blood again! However, I still don't understand why my knowledge of King Diomarlon is making you two angry at me!"  
  
"We've seen the king's picture, Pietro, so how do we know you're not being played for an idiot or worse, willingly working with a monster?" Joseph snapped, causing Pietro to look at him in clear confusion.  
  
"Monster?" Pietro asked quietly, "What are you talking about? I've personally made sure that none of Snow White's descendants ended up as awful as her mother Hildegarde, why... why would King Diomarlon be a monster?"  
  
Pietro watched as the two men exchanged looks and upon realizing that the stag was legitimately confused, the two men relaxed a bit as Joseph spoke up.  
  
"Well... it's because King White looks like a monster Jotaro faced back in our world- just before we ended up here in Fanterra." the brunette then said, "Dio Brando was that bastard's name and he has been the root of a lot of problems for the Joestar Family- starting with my Great-grandfather's death... after the man took Dio in as his own, no less!"  
  
After that, Pietro then listened as Joseph told him about his Grandfather's battle against Dio, how the man turned vampire later ended up taking the hero's body as his own, how Dio had indirectly caused the death of Joseph's own father and his mother abandoning him to go into hiding, and also the incident that caused him and Jotaro to travel their home world to Egypt- a country as they explained rather than the name of their world as Pietro originally thought, their adventures with the friends they met- and the three allies they lost in the final battle. When the tale was finished, Pietro was silent for a little while, realizing why they were as angry as they were over a familiar face they had recently defeated.  
  
"Please, try and believe that I'd never allow any one of Snow White's descendants to end up so evil." Pietro said, "Especially not Diomarlon. Even if he has the face of a villain you two know, he is not that man."  
  
As Joseph showed doubt while Jotaro remained as stoic as before, Pietro simply sighed as he realized they probably couldn't believe him until they had more evidence to support his claim. After hearing about their enemy, he knew that it was most likely be very difficult to accept anyone who looked exactly like him, but acted completely different as Pietro himself would probably have acted the same if he encountered someone who had the same face as Hildegarde.  
  
The air was rather tense as all three of them were silent, only for the tension to be broken as the door opened and Alphonse ran in before jumping onto Pietro's bed, licking the stag's face before trying to crawl under the covers to try and cuddle. As he chuckled at the alphyn's affections though, his ears then twitched a bit as he heard footsteps, causing him to turn his head to see a blond woman he recognized as Irene Almandine, and a man she was supporting as they walked into the room was one Robert Swiftcart- the kingdom of Miravel's newest Mirror Knight. However, as he realized that Swiftcart was not only previously injured but apparently alone, he grew worried as the man noticed the stag and immediately pulled himself away from Irene as he moved to kneel before the embarrassed stag's bed.  
  
"Your grace!" Swiftcart then said, "I... I never thought I'd see you in person, or with stubble for that matter, but really is a pleasure to meet you face to face!"  
  
_"Stubble?"_ Pietro asked in his thoughts, before summoning a small mirror into his left hand and noticing that he had indeed started growing a beard while he slept, and also noticed he was getting new antlers as well, judging by the three inch, twin protrusions coming out of his skull. Realizing that he needed a shave, he then decided to try something and summoned a second, round mirror to his other hand making it thick-edged at the part of the mirror he held, and razor thin for the rest of it before he began scraping it against his skin as a makeshift knife while he shaved a bit. Sure, it was dry and going to itch if he wasn't careful, but the stag did make sure to take it slow- even if shaving around others was not exactly gentlemanly at the moment.  
  
"Uh... your grace?" Swiftcart then said a bit awkwardly, "Er... I've got some bad news..."  
  
Pietro, thankful that the man had timed it just as Pietro was about to start another stroke rather than during, the stag set his shaving mirror down on the blanket and looked at the kneeling man, "You may go on and sit down in a chair first, before telling me, Robert."  
  
"Thank you, m'lord." Swiftcart then said before doing so, while Joseph and Jotaro moved to the foot of the bed with Irene, "Your Grace, Prince Jonathan has been kidnapped by a monster. Black and silver it was, and it came out of nowhere, killed our horses... and nearly killed me. I... I never seen anything like it, but according to your..."  
  
Swiftcart then paused and shot a glare towards Joseph and Jotaro, the former just rolling his eyes as the knight continued, "... _liberators,_ the monster is what they call 'Hierophant Black' and they faced it before winding up in the tower when it ended up kidnapping a girl. Sir, I know you've only been released for three days, but the kingdom needs your help in finding the Prince, and possibly even finding a way to defeat that monster, if you are willing."  
  
"Well, I certainly didn't expect the kingdom to fall apart three days after my release, all because I was asleep." Pietro said dryly, before his ears twitched a bit as he heard something no one else seemed too.  
  
_Mirror... Mirror... on the wall... Pietro, I beg of you to... to please take my call!_

What followed after Pietro heard those words was a shiver going down his spine as his face became expressionless for a moment, setting both mirrors he used to try and shave down on the blanket as he raised his right hand and swiveled it in a circle to summon forth an oval shaped mirror that was about two feet tall and a foot and a half wide in front of the window, followed by the face and upper body of a man with chin-length, messy blond hair kept under a simple circlet decorated by pale blue stones, sharp brown eyes that had been reddened with tears, and a dark blue cape that had white feathers forming a collar draped over his shoulders, while the group could see signs of a pale blue and silver doublet under the cape. While the man's skin was pale, Pietro knew that was a common thing for Snow White's descendants as even Jonathan had the same skin tone- though the prince still had lips as red as blood unlike his father.  
  
_"Oh thank the gods..._ " Diomarlon said, looking relieved for the moment as he saw he had an answer at last, _"Pietro, please tell me everything is alright, and that my son, Jonathan is safe and sound in Gem Hill... the past three days have been hectic as I... I was so worried about you, my old friend."_  
  
"Your Majesty... I'm afraid I have some bad news..." Pietro said to the king before filling him in on events, as well as why he hadn't been able to answer him for three days. By the time he had finished, the King's calm turned to panic as his face looked like someone had killed a poor, innocent puppy in front of a child- and it certainly wasn't him that did it.  
  
_"So... my son is... Oh Sweet Grimm... This... This can't be happening..."_ Diomarlon then said in shock as tears started rolling down his cheeks again, _"As Sir Swiftcart needs time to recover or else risk getting killed... Joseph Joestar and Jotaro Kujo... I must ask you to aid Pietro in finding and rescuing my son."_  
  
"Why should we?" Joseph then asked, crossing his arms and frowning at the King while Jotaro merely glared in silence, "We're not from this world, and since you look like someone who caused my family a lot of trouble, how do we know we can even trust you?"  
  
Diomarlon flinched at the question, before looking down at the ground on his side of the mirror and trembling as he sniffed and thought in silence for a moment. _"Whoever it was that had my face, I know neither of you might not believe me when I say that I hope I am **nothing** like them. But, even if you cannot, I will understand but please... please save my elder son Jonathan..."_  
  
The king of Miravel then sobbed as he looked towards the mirror again while he continued to plead for the aid of two complete strangers, _"I loved his mother dearly, and I love him as much as I love his half brother Gino- with all my heart. So... So to hear that he is in the hands of some monster, with his life in danger and... and could possibly be killed... I... I can't do anything other then beg for help! Do you know what sort of pain is set upon my heart right now? To know someone you love is in danger, but being unable to do anything directly to save them? I... I just can't go through that again!"_  
  
Seeing the king weep as he broke down, Joseph realized that while it was weird to have the man with the face of his family's greatest enemy be the father of his own grandfather's double, he could indeed see that Diomarlon was either a very good actor, or sincerely worried about his own son. While he did know what the man was going through with his own daughter's life- as well as that of his secret son with another woman, Joseph could at least relate. Not to mention that going by that last part, the previous Queen of Miravel most likely died and he wasn't able to do anything- especially as Joseph saw Pietro look a little regretful as well. Not to mention that Joseph himself doubted that Dio Brando himself would act the same way- or if the fanged bastard could even love someone at all.  
  
"So, Pietro mentioned personally making sure you turned out ok." Joseph then said, getting the king's attention while everyone looked towards the stern looking brunette, "Is it true?"  
  
_"Of course it is."_ Diomarlon then said in confusion, _"Why wouldn't be anything other than the truth? If it weren't for Acting Duke Aifread- considering most of his own family's condition at the moment, I'd most likely be a tyrant... especially after Maria's death. Pietro helped me with my grief, and helped me find a second wife four years ago when the people were insisting I have a queen at my side once again... but still... the fear of losing my first born son and heir... I'm sure if you had children, you'd know how horrible it is."_  
  
After hearing that, Joseph and his grandson looked at each other for a moment and shrugged, realizing that if the man was this desperate, they may as well give it a shot.  
  
"Yeah, I do." Joseph then said, "My daughter and Jos- _Jotaro's_ mother was sick thanks to the bastard that caused our family a lot of trouble. She's fine now, but throughout the whole mess... well, I was worried we wouldn't be able to save her in time. So... I _guess_ we'll help. But if we find out you're hiding something, I happily reserve the right for me and my Grandson here to kick your ass, alright?"  
  
_"...Thank you, and your request will be honored if such a thing does occur."_ Diomarlon then said with a sniff and a small smile as he was relieved the two men were to help him, while also missing the near slip Joseph had made as well, _"Then I, King Diomarlon White the Fourth of Miravel, name Joseph Joestar and Jotaro Kujo as Knights of Miravel, giving them the authority to investigate my son's whereabouts and save him by using whatever means they deem necessary. Sir Swiftcart? Give them their badges."_  
  
"But... But my lord, if it weren't for them, His Highness wouldn't be in this mess right now!" Swiftcart then said in disbelief, "He'd be safe at home, playing with his three year old brother, and you not being a sobbing wreck of a man!"  
  
As the King then glared at the man hired to protect the royal family, the room suddenly grew colder as Alphonse whined from under Pietro's blankets, poking his head out in concern as he sensed that the Mirror Knight had crossed a line.  
  
_"Swiftcart..."_ Diomarlon then said darkly, _"I order you to give them their badges so that they can save my son and also your damn reputation for your failure to even see the threat coming with your scrying. So, unless you want to go back to prison after Pietro Aifread himself recommended you for your position, you carry it out right now."_  
  
"Y..Yes your majesty." Swiftcart then said out of fear, grumbling as he reached into his pocket about even having to carry around emergency Knight Badges just in case the king decided to knight someone and Swiftcart had to do it on his behalf just because he was in the area at the time. Of course, as prison was not something he wanted to go back to after getting this cushy job, the Mirror Knight then pulled out two badges showing the crest of the White Family- the apple reflected in a mirror half-covered by a veil, and spoke up.  
  
"On behalf of King Diomarlon since he can't be here in person and all that, I, Sir Robert Swiftcart the Mirror Knight give you these badges and all that noise." he then said flatly as he reluctantly pinned the silver badges on the jackets of both Joseph Joestar and Jotaro Kujo- while also pricking Joseph a bit with the pin on purpose, "With these, all of Miravel will know you're working for the King (even though I still outrank you both), and you will have the authority to confiscate, commandeer, and enlist the aid of anyone you deem necessary to your mission to save Jonathan White--- _within Miravel's Borders._ "  
  
As the injured blond finished his task, he then bowed to the King with an annoyed look on his face, while Diomarlon then cleared his throat and spoke one last time.  
  
_"Then I leave you both to your task. Now, I must go and... tell Prince Gino and his mother, Queen Talia Fiore-White what has happened. Irene, it was good to see you, though... I do wish it was under... much better circumstances... I'm sorry you have to go through this as well."_  
  
With that said, the king's image vanished, and Pietro let out a sigh as he went back to shaving away his stubble.  
  
"I had really hoped the 'Mirror, Mirror' thing would have ended upon my release." The stag said, while also mentally noting Joseph's near slip of another name and Irene's silence throughout the whole conversation so far, "Honestly, every time someone in the White Family calls on me with those two words being used first, I have no choice but to answer it thanks to Hildegarde. Though, I am glad my cousin Talia managed to make things work with Diomarlon so far, her... last husband was... well, I'm certainly not happy with that man, even if he did wake her up while she slept in a Slumberthorn induced sleep for a little over century."  
  
"You're in-laws with the king?" Joseph asked, looking a bit suspiciously at Pietro as he smirked a bit, "Trying to get some of your family on the throne or was this just an innocent coincidence?"  
  
"Only on my mother's side." Pietro said, "And I actually had no hand in bringing them together at all, Talia ran away from her ex-husband in Ringaia on her own terms, ran into Diomarlon by accident when she came to Miravel, and all I did was just reconnect with my cousin and show my disapproval for her ex."  
  
"Yeesh, how bad was he?" Joseph said, while Swiftcart seemed to back away from the bed as Pietro glared at the question just as he finished shaving his face clean.  
  
"He was a corrupt priest that had a habit of abusing criminals sent to a prison he built with Talia's inheritance, experimenting on them, and accidentally created the most terrible creature in all of Fanterra- Vararch. When he used his powers to turn his newborn son- and only child into a green, humanoid creature, Talia was forced to kill the child out of mercy when there was no way to change him back- not even with a mother's true love for her child, I made quite sure that not only did the Cacciatori Family's ally, the Big Bad Wolf was able to learn about the prison, what happened in it and what Talia was forced to do, but also gave this information to every kingdom in Fanterra so that fried-bean-mold loving monster, Pucci, couldn't even find a place to start over with his villainy." Pietro said angrily, "Every town, every merchant caravan and every knight battalion is on the lookout for him. If he even tries to seek safety, I made sure he wouldn't find any, and I personally hope he is executed for what he did."  
  
"Damn..." Joseph said as he felt sorry for the poor bastard that was basically Fanterra's Most Wanted, while Irene simply sighed and Swiftcart seemed to pale a bit.  
  
"Do you always make people suffer when they do something to people you care about?" Jotaro then asked, causing Pietro to give a nervous chuckle.  
  
"I've only done it twice to be honest." Pietro said, "And since I was in a mirror, I really couldn't do much actively... though, I've been told the vengeance streak I have comes from my mother, she did make sure I was unable to lie due to father never telling her about being turned into a stag. Though, my aunt believed I got a bit of it from my father as well, considering he killed the mage that turned him into a stag in the first place, with my uncle Jack as a witness."  
  
_"Note to self, do not get on Pietro's bad side."_ Jotaro thought to himself, while remaining stoic as usual as he then gave a shrug and spoke aloud, "So, to get back on the main problem... where do we start looking for the Prince?"  
  
The room as silent again, though Pietro chuckled a bit as Alphonse licked the stag's face, before Swiftcart spoke up with an idea.  
  
"Maybe Pietro could use his abilities to scry his location." he suggested, while the stag looked a bit worried.  
  
"I'm not sure that I can anymore, I still don't know what I can and can't do out of the mirror in terms of my abilities..."  
  
"Please, can't you try?" Irene then said as everyone looked towards her, "My dear Jojo is in trouble, and if we have an idea about where he might be... it could make the search go much more smoothly."  
  
"Alright." The stag said, while noting that Joseph seemed to be slightly shocked at Irene's nickname for the prince, before he spoke up as the stag looked toward the mirror he summoned before and focused.  
  
"Why did you call him Jojo?" the brunette said to Irene.  
  
"Because he stuttered a bit when we first met." the princess explained with a smile, "So, I called him Jojo to poke fun at him more than anything and well... it became my pet-name for the man."  
  
"Yeah, that makes sense." Joseph said, "Though, I can be called Jojo as well as my Grandson... so... it's kind of weird."  
  
"Oi, can you two talk later?" Swiftcart said in annoyance, "Pietro needs to concentrate!"  
  
"What is Scrying, exactly?" Jotaro then asked, causing Swiftcart to let out a shrill sound of anger that caused Pietro to cringe and have to start over with what he was doing at the moment.  
  
"Scrying is the practice of using a suitable medium such as water or a mirror to look for significant messages relating to who or what a person is looking for, and sometimes in fortune telling!" Swiftcart began to lecture, "Pietro however, being _the_ Magic Mirror from Miravel's history, is the best scryer in the world when it comes to searching for information in the present, and with his magnificent memory, doesn't even need to double check something he's seen! My own skills are still being honed, but I bet that if I had Pietro's abilities, I'd be pretty well off."  
  
"No, not really." Pietro then said, doing a few scrying tests here and there as he saw out of a shop window, a statue of a woman with golden hands in a room that was covered in moss due to years gone by, and started scrying for Jonathan's location as he continued to speak, focusing more on the mirror than on Swiftcart. "My memory is perfect, but there are some things I wish I could forget, not to mention being in a mirror stuck in a tower for two centuries thanks to a frame that absorbs anyone who so much as touches it with only two exceptions made it hard to have visitors. Not to mention it can be very, very boring between calls from the royal family. In fact, I only became as good as I am because I didn't want to go mad from boredom while watching a tower crumble apart and slumberthorn grow in the cracks."  
  
With Swiftcart struck dumb, Jotaro smirked slightly while Joseph and Irene watched Pietro work, going through a few locations slowly at first, before scanning faster and faster through Fanterra until the two onlookers couldn't even look at the mirror without feeling sick due to the speed the stag was going at, though while Pietro seemed fine thanks to Experience, Jotaro was able to look for a little while as well thanks to borrowing a bit of Star Platinum's ability to help do so.  
  
Of course, as Jotaro noted places like a city that seemed similar to venice, a large wagon that seemed to be drawn by clockwork horses seen from a still pond, and for a split second a shadow with clockwork arms and what the teen could have sworn was a familiar gold necklace before the final image he was able to catch of a girl roughly a year or two younger than he was who happened to be busy working on a machine of some kind. Though, he couldn't help but feel he'd seen her somewhere before, only to be unable to figure out how as Pietro's work became too much for even him to keep up. As images came through the mirror at high speed that only someone who'd seen it all before could possibly tell the difference, Pietro's face looked focused as he scanned everything at high speed for anything out of the ordinary as he focused on finding the prince.  
  
Then, the mirror suddenly turned black, and the sound of the prince's breathing could be heard through the mirror itself before Pietro spoke.  
  
"It seems where ever he is, it's too dark for a mirror or even a glass of water to pick up even a flash of light." he said, "I'd use my night vision, however since it's daylight on this end, I'd blind myself in the process so... I'm afraid we won't have an easy time of finding him."  
  
As Joseph and Jotaro then looked to each other, they realized that their new guide could also act as a way of finding people after what they just witnessed, and as they both knew why they ended up there in the first place, the teen reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a well-detailed drawing of the girl from the airport- drawn by Star Platinum while the stag slept thanks to Jotaro remembering just how detailed he drew an insect it noticed in a small picture of Dio that helped them figure out where the monster was hiding very early in his adventure.  
  
"If you can't find the Prince easily... then perhaps you could find someone else instead?" Jotaro asked Pietro, who then looked at the teen as he offered the drawing to him. "This is Veronica Zeppeli, the girl who was kidnapped by Hierophant Black originally. If it's possible, do you think you could find her instead?"  
  
"I can try." Pietro said, taking the picture, "Though, I'll need a bit more information. What color is her hair and eyes?"  
  
"Silver hair, as for the eyes..." Jotaro said, taking a moment to figure out how best to describe them, "From what I can recall, they were... weird."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Like... a ring of bright blue, surrounding a ring of dark green with the pupil in the center for both eyes." Jotaro said, causing Pietro to smile a bit as he started searching immediately.  
  
"You'd be surprised how common silver hair is in Fanterra." Pietro said, "But those eyes? That will narrow things down consider--- Oh, here she is!"  
  
"What?" Joseph then said as he and Jotaro moved to see the results, and were surprised to see that Veronica was stopped by a lake and not alone as she was in the company of a wolfish man with a tail, and a larger one that was barely covered in armor. Though, as the wolf didn't seem familiar to either of them, for Joseph, their third party member definitely did.  
  
_"That warrior.... it can't possibly be..."_ He thought, before adding aloud- "Pietro, can you try contacting them?"  
  
"Oh of course." the stag said, waving a hand over the mirror just as Veronica spoke.  
  
_"I'm going to go wash my face real quick, ok Ricky?"_ she said to the wolf, before walking towards the lake and kneeling down to scoop some water in her hands- only to instead stop and see Pietro as she soon let out a scream.

~0~

In northern Ringaia, Veronica, Ricky and Wamu- calling themselves Team Zeppeli thanks to the girl calling them that as a bit of a joke after they had taken down a group of thugs working for Carson- who apparently made an oath of revenge against them after what had happened when he tried to capture Veronica back in Bella Aquae. While it did mean that their journey would be a bit more difficult now, all three of them knew that sometimes an adventure wasn't easy- be it Ricky and Wamu from personal experience, or Veronica reading about it in a few novels she read.  
  
_"Though, this probably outranks the one I read about the guy who travels with a Pervect named Aahz..."_ Veronica thought to herself as their wagon stopped by a lake so that the horses could rest for a little while. Of course, as the fight the trio were in earlier had caused Veronica to get some mud on her face, she then looked out at the water for a moment and spoke up.  
  
"I'm going to go wash my face real quick, ok Ricky?"  
  
"Sure thing Veze." Ricky said as he took a moment to talk to Wamu about his driving. Of course, while it wasn't that much of a walk to the lake shore, as Veronica kneeled down and prepared to scoop up some water in her hands, she froze as she saw in place of her reflection a young man with pointed ears, short antlers, hair the color of a terracotta flowerpot and ice blue eyes. As the sight was definitely not normal, even if she was in another world, Veronica did the only thing she felt was sensible at the time.  
  
Scream.  
  
_"Wait, th-there's no need to panic, I swear!"_ the deer man in the water said, only for Veronica to freak out even more as Ricky and Wamu decided to come over and investigate.  
  
"Veze, what's going o--" Ricky said, only to stop and see a familiar face in the water, while Wamu simply tried to hold back a chuckle as the wolf tilted his hat a bit out of embarrassment, "...Oh boy, I had a feeling I was forgetting something."  
  
"Ricky Lupo, what the hell is going on here!?" Veronica snapped, "How the hell can you act like that when... when there's some sort of ghost or something on the water!?"  
  
_"I'm not a ghost..."_  
  
"Veze, relax." Ricky said with a smile, "It's just Pietro Aifread, it's kind of normal to see him sometimes in place of your own reflection considering he's The Magic Mirror and everything. Probably just doing his usual routine of watching the world change while he's stuck in that tower, he's harmless."  
  
"Well, I still don't like sudden frights like that..." Veronica mumbled while Pietro let out a sigh.  
  
_"It's nice to see you too Richard."_ Pietro said, _"My condolences about your brother, and I apologize I wasn't able to see what happened at the time... my attention was on a very unusual occurrence on a rose tree that was very important to my own sister's betrothed and well... just because I can look everywhere in Fanterra, doesn't mean I know everything that's going on."_  
  
"It's fine my dear buddy. We went through this already and I've forgiven ya, ok?" Ricky said with a chuckle at his pun, and earning an annoyed look from Pietro, "So, how's the view on your end, anyway? That hole you told me about get any bigger?"  
  
_"Actually, I was released the morning after you took over as Big Bad Wolf."_ Pietro said, _"I've just been sleeping for the past three days, so I've missed some things most likely. In any event, there are a couple of men who wish to speak with Miss Zeppeli."_  
  
At those words, Veronica and Ricky exchanged some curious looks with each other and Wamu, before looking back at the lake and watching as Pietro pointed and flicked his finger a bit before the image slid to show two men- one a teen in black wearing a torn up cap and some gold pins and a chain on his coat, as well as a pale green shirt and black pants, while the other was an unfamiliar face to Veronica- messy brown hair with green eyes, though the clothes he wore seemed familiar to her.  
  
"Jotaro, wasn't it?" Veronica asked the teen, who gave her a nod, "How are you even able to contact me anyway, I thought you were back at the Airport? Also, where's your grandfather, Mister Joestar?"  
  
_"He's right here."_ Jotaro said, before pointing at the young man next to him, causing Veronica's eyes to widen.  
  
_"Hey, how's it going?"_ Joseph then said with a grin as he waved an ungloved hand- and showing that he had a prosthetic that actually made Ricky cringe a bit and let out a whine.  
  
"Oh!" Veronica said, blushing a bit out of embarrassment, "Sorry mister Joestar, I didn't recognize you at first, just what happened to you though?"  
  
_"Well.... we kind of chased after you and that monster, which we're calling Hierophant Black, but somehow we ended up in Pietro's tower, I was de-aged to about... 20 it looks like and accidentally broke the mirror he was stuck in, and now we're in a town called Gem Hill."_ Joseph then explained, before looking at Ricky for a moment and more importantly at Wamu. _"So, who are your friends?"_  
  
"Name's Ricky Lupo, the Big Bad Wolf of Ringaia." the, dark-silver haired wolf-elf said with a smile.  
  
"Wandorian Muselli, I'm master Richard's bodyguard." Wamu said with a nod, "Nice to meet you both as well."  
  
"So... either of you have a first and last name?" Ricky then asked, while Veronica and Wamu chuckled a bit as Joseph looked confused for a moment.  
  
_"Well, yeah. Name's Joseph Joestar."_  
  
_"Jotaro Kujo."_ the stoic teen said, causing Ricky to sigh.  
  
"Oh man, I don't even have to think too long with those names... Jojo, Joku, good to see ya face to face- technically speaking of course."  
  
_"Joku?"_ Jotaro asked, raising an eyebrow a bit at Ricky, only for Wamu to explain.  
  
"Master Richard has a habit of taking the first two letters of a person's first and last names, and trying to make a nickname out of it." The warrior said, "It doesn't always work, as Pietro's result, Piai, was hard for him to figure out how to use."  
  
_"Yare yare daze..."_ Jotaro said with a groan, all three members of Team Zeppeli wondering what he just said while Joseph just rolled his eyes.  
  
_"Well, I like it."_ Joseph said, before looking at Wandorian a bit awkwardly, _"So by Ricky's logic, your name shortens to Wamu, right?"_  
  
"Yes, that's right." Wamu then said with a nod, before noticing that Joseph seemed to have a bit of sadness in his eyes, "Is something wrong, Mister Joestar?"  
  
_"Call me Joseph and uh.. you just look like a friend of mine, that's all."_ Joseph then said with a sad smile, _"Honorable guy- even if he was a an enemy of mine until he well... died."_  
  
"I see." Wamu said with a nod, "Perhaps that friend of yours has been reborn and hopefully, into a life where he doesn't have to fight anymore. I look forward to speaking with you again in the future."  
  
_"Likewise."_ Joseph said with a sad smile as he nodded in return, before clapping his hands and grinning, _"So, with pleasantries out of the way, let's get down to business, shall we? Veronica, have you seen any sign of Hierophant Black again since you got here?"_  
  
"No I haven't." Veronica said as she shook her head, "Not since I got here, and was rescued by this pink haired guy in green... I passed out right after that, so I don't know what happened to either of them."  
  
Hearing this bit of news, Joseph shot Jotaro a surprised look, though if the teen shared the feeling, Veronica wasn't sure due to how hard to read he was.  
  
_"Did you see his face?"_ Jotaro then asked, only for the girl to shake her head "no."  
  
"Why? Does it sound like someone you know?" Veronica asked in concern.  
  
_"Knew, would be more accurate."_ Joseph then said, _"The day before we met, Veronica, Jotaro, myself, and four friends of ours went to do battle with a monster named DIO. Half of our group didn't survive, among them was a young man named Noriyaki Kakyoin, who matches the description of your savior."_  
  
_" **Kakyoin?** Wasn't that what Jotaro called Ethereas in my dream?" _ Veronica thought to herself before remembering another dream she had the night before she had arrived in Egypt, "How did... Kakyoin die, exactly?"  
  
_"He... faced DIO alone, ended up with a hole punched through his stomach as a result."_ Joseph said grimly, causing Veronica to pale a bit as she covered her mouth in shock.  
  
"Oh no..." she said, "I... I never thought that dream I had on the plane was... oh my God..."  
  
_"Wait, did you somehow dream about his death?"_ Joseph then asked, while Jotaro's eyes widened for a moment, _"What else did you see in that dream? Anything that looked like Heirophant Black, or even DIO himself?"_  
  
Veronica shook her head again before she spoke. "Sorry, I didn't. I didn't even see your friend's face that clearly either... though, now that I think about it, I... had another dream involving my rescuer recently as well. In it, I was at this masquerade ball in this really gorgeous dress, when I saw what looked like your friend, though his face was covered by a mask with a red gemstone on it- kind of looked like the blue one I found back in our world."  
  
She paused for a moment, to lower her scarf enough to show the stone in question, causing Joseph to flinch a bit as she continued, "He had trouble at first knowing who he even was as he mentioned living two lives- one in Fanterra and one in your world, and when it started affecting the building as he tried to think through the mess, I... I helped him out with something I learned a while back. He told me his name was Ethereas Ghostwing though, and after we danced for a bit... Jotaro came in and called him Kakyoin. The weird thing was that as I woke up? I swear that he recognized your grandson as well... even in the outfit he was wearing."  
  
_"Jotaro, you know anything about this?"_ Joseph then asked his grandson, who frowned as he gave a nod.  
  
_"Yeah. Though I didn't get into that getup until after I entered this weird tree-palace in mine. However, I saw... a friend of Kakyoin's in my side, chased after it until I reached the ball room, even when things were shifting through Kakyoin's memories."_ Jotaro explained, though Veronica couldn't help but look confused towards the teen as she felt like he was hiding something. Then again, she was hiding her own powers as well in her own explanation, mainly because she wasn't sure if they'd believe her about knowing how to use the power of the sun to destroy vampires.  
  
_"What exactly did you do to stabilize him?"_ Jotaro then asked, causing Veronica to flinch.  
  
"Uh... w-well... just a... oh man, it's hard to explain..." she said, trying to figure out how to get herself out of this mess.  
  
_"Let me guess."_ Joseph then said with a smile, _"You used the power of Hamon, didn't you?"_  
  
"H-How do you know about that!?" Veronica asked, the formerly old man smirking a bit as he began to explain.  
  
_"I knew a Zeppeli by the name of Caesar once, good friend of mine really."_ Joseph said, _"That, combined with the fact that his grandfather Will helped my granddad Jonathan, as well as the fact Jotaro and I saw you try and defend yourself with your scarf- kind of like my mother did---"_  
  
_"Wait, what?"_ Jotaro asked, only for Joseph to continue without answering.  
  
_"I just put two and two together to figure out you know how to use it, just like they did as well as myself."_ Joseph then said, _"Though, I didn't think you could use it in a dream..."_  
  
"I think anything can happen in a dream." Veronica said, feeling relieved before she thought about the airport attack, "Though, I think I heard Jotaro say something about a stand user right when I got caught?"  
  
_"Stands are... think of them as manifestations of a person's fighting spirit, that only other Stand Users -like us can see under normal circumstances."_ Joseph explained, _"Not all of them are the same- however, your kidnapper looked a lot like our friend Kakyoin's Stand, and we thought for a moment you were one as well considering.... well, you know. However, Stands can be seen by everyone here in Fanterra- probably due to Magic or something, I dunno."_  
  
"I had no idea what you're talking about until now." Veronica then said, "So, you think that 'Heirophant Black' thing might be a Stand or something?"  
  
_"We don't know."_ Jotaro admitted, _"It might, but... it may be something else entirely if it originated in this world. All we do know is that recently, it kidnapped a man named Jonathan White, a prince in the kingdom we're in right now, Miravel."_  
  
"Wait, Joe White's been kidnapped?" Ricky Lupo said as both him and Wamu became worried- though they were confused by what the three Earthlings had talked about, "Who the hell would be dumb enough to kidnap a guy who's seriously the most likeable man in Fanterra that's willing to just go out of his way to help people without even wanting a reward? Seriously, that's just asking for trouble- maybe even war with Miravel."  
  
_"Veronica, where are you now?"_ Jotaro then asked, after noticing the girl seemed confused about who or where they were talking about.  
  
"Ringaia- another kingdom by the coast." the silver haired girl then said, "I was in Bella Aquae- its capital, for the past few days. I guess you can compare it to Venice back in our world, and I felt pretty at home there to be honest... even if the King's brother is a scumbag."  
  
_"Moving on... I think our two groups need to meet up somewhere and join forces if we're going to get anywhere in finding out what the hell is going on, and more importantly, how the three of us will be getting back to our world."_ Joseph then said, with Jotaro and Veronica nodding in agreement.  
  
"Hmm... according to the map I was looking over before we stopped for a break, we're a few days away from a town called Unicorn's Blade up in Clawthorn. However, since you guys are on the other side of Miravel, we could meet up in Appledale over on your end- it's on Miravel's side of the border with Clawthorn, so head west from Gem Hill and you should be fine." Ricky then said, with Pietro peeking in to view to add his own two cents in as the two Joestar men looked unsure about it.  
  
_"He's right."_ said the stag, _"Appledale is also where Snow White's glass coffin is located, and one of the remaining dwarves that helped her is still living there, so if we meet at her hut by the coffin, we should be able to have a good place to talk and compare notes in person rather than by mirror."_  
  
_"Alright, Appledale it is."_ Joseph then said with a grin, _"We'll see you there as soon as we can!"_  
  
"Got it." Veronica said with a nod, and watched as the other group faded from view, and the reflections of Team Zeppeli appeared on the water in their place. With this new goal in mind, Team Zeppeli then got the horses hooked back up to their wagon and got going- hoping to get to Appledale as soon as possible.

~0~

Back in the Almandine manor, Joseph, Jotaro and Pietro all looked at each other as they ended the call, Sir Swiftcart and Irene having been silent the whole time out of courtesy.

"We better get ready to go." Jotaro said as he headed towards the door with Joseph while Pietro got out of bed with Alphonse going after the stag as the former mirror grabbed his bag on the way. Of course, as they were soon stopped by Irene getting in between them and the door, the three merely stared at the determined looking young woman as she spoke.

"I'm going with you." she said, surprising them, "I can heal you if you get injured, and I can also use my magic to help in a battle as well. Besides, my betrothed is out there somewhere in gods know what sort of peril, and I _refuse_ to just stand by and not do anything."

The two Jojos merely looked at each other, Joseph looking more unsure than Jotaro before Pietro spoke up.

"She did just finish her studies in Spherean as I recall." the deer man then said, "And also managed to out do her own mentor in her abilities as well. So I believe she should come with us to help- we're going to need it after all."

"Yeah, but she won't be able to heal _you."_ Joseph said, "You can reflect magic now, remember? And as I saw while you were asleep, that includes Irene's healing magic as well, so if you get hurt badly, you'll have to take the slow route, or I might try using Hamon to heal you since it's not magic. At least, I'm hoping it doesn't qualify as magic here anyway."

"Of course I remember, I can't forget anything." Pietro said blankly, "But, that doesn't mean she can't come to help you two out instead, does it?"

"I don't know..." Joseph then said, looking at Irene and once again seeing the young woman his grandmother used to be. As he remembered how he didn't want to see her worry about him, or worse, be miserable or heartbroken due to bad news, an old habit of his regarding keeping her safe- even if he had to lie to her about it to spare her feelings more than anything, had kicked in. "I mean, if we get overwhelmed in a fight, none of us might be able to help her if she gets in over her head, and... well, killed."

As Swiftcart then facepalmed as he watched Irene's face turn from determination to flat out irritation, it was clear that Joseph may have said the wrong thing as the blond woman then grabbed Joseph by the arm, kicked open the doors to the room and started dragging the taller man behind her, only to stop as she looked back at the rest of those gathered and spoke.

"Pietro, Jotaro, Swiftcart, follow me." she said with a glare, "I'd like to have a few witnesses as I show _Mister Joestar_ exactly what I'm capable of."

"Oh no..." Pietro said with a sigh as he followed after the princess with the other men and Alphonse, while Joseph was just confused and trying to struggle against the surprisingly strong grip she had as she dragged him through the manor, "He just had to say that, didn't he?"

"What is she going to do to my grandpa?" Jotaro asked, while Swiftcart answered instead.

"Show him just why you don't piss off an Almandine- _especially_ if they know magic."

As neither of them spoke when Jotaro asked what that meant, the teen just shrugged and continued walking along, soon following their host to the door leading to a garden behind the manor where Irene used one hand to pick up a blue, crystaline sword hanging next to the door and clipping it to her belt with one movement before heading outside. While the garden was filled with all sorts of flowers such as roses, irises, snap dragons and a few ornamental trees, the group couldn't help but notice that there were targets set up in a rather barren area- where Irene dragged Joseph and managed to throw him to the ground over her shoulder.

"Ow!" the man said, only to be blasted in the face by a stream of water summoned forth from the orange gemstone Irene had then pulled from her gem pouch. "What the hell!?"

"Oh, that's right!" Pietro then said, "Jasper, despite the orange color the stone commonly has being associated with fire, is a stone capable of summoning water and rain when it comes to gem based magic! Whether to break a drought or using the water hidden in the very air to blast an opponent with a torrent, Jasper is a very versatile stone- especially since the green and yellow versions of the gem are mainly used for healing instead of battle."

"Wait, am I being used for target practice!?" Joseph then shouted as he rolled out of the way of another water blast sent his way by an angry Irene, who then began to scream towards the man.

"Do you really think, I'm some weak, defenseless princess!?" she said, her temper flaring as she managed to hit Joseph in the shoulder.

"W-What!?" Joseph said, ducking another torrent, "N-No! I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all!"

"I bet it's because you think I'm some sort of delicate flower, right?" Irene snapped, causing Joseph to flinch, "Well, I'm going to prove you wrong, you fucking son of a bitch, so hurry up and defend yourself!"

"Why does the Prince love her again?" Jotaro then asked Swiftcart, who sighed while Joseph ran around the training field to avoid Irene's blasts of magic and screaming for help.

"Used to be she was the sweetest lady in all of Miravel. Not quite sure where the temper came from... that's pretty new." Swiftcart said, while Pietro just gave a nervous laugh.

"Uh... let's just say time away from home can change a person in ways you don't expect." the stag said, only to get infront of Jotaro as he used his body to deflect a magical stream of water that Joseph had managed to dodge.

"Looks like your water blasts can only go in one direction once fired!" Joseph said, getting an idea as he summoned Hermit Purple- though Pietro did squeal in delight upon the reveal, "You really think that'll help with an enemy that can move quickly?"

Striking the ground as he cracked his stand like a whip, Joseph smirked as he sent out a ripple charged vine towards Irene, only for it to stop short as she was suddenly surrounded by a forcefield. He cringed as Joseph felt like he'd just punch a wall with his still normal hand, he soon saw that Irene had swapped gems as she now held an opaque, blue grey gem carved to look like a shield about the size of the palm of her hand.

"Oh, now she's using Angelite!" Pietro then said, "In Gem Magic, it can create shields to reflect attacks and spells right back at the caster!"

"You mean like you?" Jotaro said flatly as he watched his grandfather get an idea as he sent Hermit Purple into the ground and actually burst under Irene to grab her by the lovely blue and white gown she had on that day. As she ended up dropping her Angelite, he smirked as he felt he had the battle won.

"You gotta be faster then that if you want to survive Irene!" Joseph said, only for the girl to smirk right back at him as she suddenly had in her right hand a marbled purple and white stone that also looked sort of like a shiny slime from a movie or something- at least as far as Joseph was concerned anyway. As Joseph watched, Irene them grinned as she pressed the stone against her gown, and in a flash of light, watched as it turned into a blue coat and pants with light weight, white armor on her chest, legs and arms, while her feet were covered in a pair of leather boots.

"Charoite, a stone that can transform living things temporarily, while objects are more permanent." Irene said as Joseph's surprise caused him to lose his grip with Hermit Purple and letting her go, before she ended up slipping it into her gem-pouch before pulling out a sardonyx charm from her left sleeve with the matching hand- "And this is Sardonyx. It can let loose fireballs."

"Y-You're kidding, right!?" Joseph said, only to see the pinkish orange and white banded gem to flash as it did indeed send a series of fireballs his way. "HOLY SHIT!"

After barely dodging again, Joseph decided that this fight may end up killing him if he didn't do something soon, and since his mouth was what got him into this mess, he figured it might get him out of it. Especially since she was reaching for the sun stone around her neck.

_"Okay, you're right!"_ Joseph then said, just as Irene unhooked the gem from her choker and pointed it towards him, causing the woman to stop and raise an eyebrow, "I didn't think you could handle yourself in a fight, ok? And since I thought you were like my grandmother, well... I didn't want to see you hurt because I wasn't just worried about seeing you die young after seeing her die peacefully of old age, but well... I didn't think you're betrothed would have liked it if you got yourself killed for his sake!"

"Well I just want to make one thing clear Joseph." Irene said, pointing the sun stone away from him and letting it glow for a moment as she continued, "I'm not some defenseless princess. I'm not going to stay here in Gem Hill and sit on my ass while Jonathan's life is at stake, and most importantly..."

As the clear, mostly red with some yellow stone shaped like an arrowhead started to glow very brightly, Joseph and everyone else watched as Irene kept it pointed towards the targets by the wall, her eyes focused on Joseph with a glare as a giant blast of energy fired from the stone and not just obliterated the targets, but also took out part of the wall before stopping as it hit a mountain in the distance- and no where near the tower Pietro had been in for far too long, and as Jotaro could see while borrowing Star Platinum's sight the blast had taken out a large chunk of the mountain without even causing an avalanche.

_"I am not a damsel in need of saving."  
_  
With a thud as Swiftcart hit the ground from shock being the only noise to be heard after Irene's point was made, Joseph could only stare as she put the stone back where it belonged, he not only wondered if what she had just pulled off was her own version of that trick he pulled off with the still missing Super Aja, but he also realized that if she could do _that_ with a few gemstones, then maybe she was better to have an ally than an enemy. Because in all honesty, the woman outright scared Joseph as he actually felt relieved that magic was not a thing in his world, and more importantly, that his beloved grandmother was unable to do anything like Irene had done.

Otherwise, Joseph would probably have been in deeper shit if the old woman had been anything like Irene Almandine.

"Okay, you can come." Joseph then said as he stood up- having been afraid to stand when she had the sunstone pointed his way earlier.

"I can come too, right?" Swiftcart then said, earning a glare from Joseph and Jotaro thanks to the knight's attitude towards them both since he got there. Luckily, Pietro managed to speak to the knight before they could give him a piece of their mind.

"I'm afraid not Sir Swiftcart." the stag began, "You still have a job to do in White Mountain- protecting the rest of the Royal Family in case Diomarlon, Prince Gino- who's only three years old mind you, and my cousin Talia, _the queen,_ in case Hierophant Black targets them in the future."

"But...But Your Grace!" Swiftcart began to protest, only to be silenced by a glare from the stag.

"Robert Swiftcart, as the man you answer to besides the King, and also the one who gave you your position, you have not only shown yourself to be reckless, uncouth, and lazy in your required studies, but you are also showing signs of being corrupt if what I've seen you do off duty means anything." Pietro then said with a good amount of authority in his voice as Swiftcart gulped and looked on in fear at the stag as he continued, "Now, this is your last chance to clean up your act, so unless you want to be the first Mirror Knight I've chosen that turned out to be a complete disgrace to the title, then you do as I say and protect the King and his family in White Mountain, and also make sure you're fully recovered from your injuries, do you understand me?"

"Y...Yes sir." Swiftcart said, looking much like a child who had been caught stealing cookies before dinner as he gave a bow and left the group alone as he decided to go pack what he could and head back to the capital as soon as possible.

"Huh, didn't think you were even able to do that, Pietro." Joseph said, "You know, give orders and stuff. To me, you seemed more like the type to stay back and let someone else lead."

"Well, someone needed to give him a blow to the ego." Pietro said with a smile, "I just tried to do it in a way that would make my Aunt Cassandra proud... without resorting to violence or shooting someone with a crossbow like she'd do."

"Well, since everything's settled..." Irene then said, getting the attention of the three men and one alphyn as the draconic wolf walked over and licked her hand, "Can I make a suggestion for a slight detour before heading to Appledale?"

"Why?" Jotaro asked as he got a bad feeling about this.

"Well, in another border town south of here, Thornsborough, there's... someone there I need to talk to, who might help us find someone who owes me a pretty big favor!~" Irene then said, giving a bit of a wink as she giggled a bit.

~0~

Outside the town of Thornsborough, a lone woman with long, very messy brown hair, emerald green eyes, freckles across her nose and wearing a stained leather apron over a plain, dark green, long sleeved dress walked down the road with a large backpack on her shoulders. Her name was Carmen Wood, owner of an apothecary on the edge of town that had been in her mother's family for generations- only for it to be closed until the brunette recently came to town to take it over. While it hadn't been easy to get things cleaned up for the grand re-opening, and her attitude made it hard for most of her customers to stay and chit-chat a bit, she at least did a better job of getting what the people in town needed than the local mage.

Then again, compared to the local mage, her business was much cleaner in terms of morality.

As the woman kept walking though, her eyes narrowed as she sensed something, before looking around for anything out of the ordinary before spotting something in the bushes next to her. Of course, as a trio of bandits then popped out in an attempt to ambush her and steal her bag full of reagents, herbs, and a few deadly plants as well, they would soon learn they picked the wrong person to rob.

Mainly by her looking rather annoyed as Carmen revealed she was a shapeshifter by sending out a trio of scorpion-stinger tipped and barbed tendrils from her hands and mouth, striking the would-be theives in the chest and killing them before they could even make their demands. As she hadn't even hesitated before doing so, Carmen then looked around and shifted her ears into those of a bat and her eyes into those of an eagle in order to make sure she didn't have any witnesses- and even enhanced her sense of smell just in case as well. Upon finding nothing as she withdrew the tendrils and returning to normal, the woman resumed walking back to her shop- and home.

"That was close." she said to herself, "If anyone had seen that, I could kiss this new life of mine good bye. I need to be much more careful in the future... if I don't want anyone dragging me back into hell by exposing me, that is."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title comes from the Vocaloid Song, "Servant of Evil." As for why the Evil part of the title is in quote marks? Because while Diomarlon White looks like the biggest bastard in Jojo, he is actually a surprisingly nice guy.
> 
> Anywho, onto alternates that show up in this chapter- excluding Irene due to her becoming a main character.  
> 1.Diomarlon White= Well, Dio Brando. Why he's Joe White's dad in this universe? Uh... because alternate universes don't really show consistency about what's different.   
> 2\. Talia Fiore-White= Well, in my head she looks like Poco's older sister from Phantom Blood. Her face will show properly in the next chapter. Though, this also means that there's an AU where the two did hook up, and actually like each other.   
> 3\. Talia's ex husband Pucci= Well, the gay priest that causes a whole lot of shit in the Jotaro's future back in the Jojoverse. Of course, his Fanterran counterpart was most likely even more of a douche, and learned the hard way about why you don't screw with Pietro's friends and family... in this case, becoming Fanterra's most wanted.
> 
> For those wondering, no. Pucci's Fanterran alternate will not be playing a major part in the story. 
> 
> Anywho, why I didn't include the fight against Carson- couldn't figure out how it'd go exactly, and decided it'd just be an offscreen thing for now. 
> 
> Also, Pietro's scrying skills combined with his perfect memory kind of makes him a search engine at times. Though, during his search, Jotaro did spot something that might be important later...
> 
> As for Irene's arsenal, I actually went around the net looking up info for gems and magic, and as Apatite is a healing stone, Calcite- specifically Iceland Spar has natural magnification properties that turned it into a Scan spell, I had to be picky about what I had Irene use- also, here is a bit more trivia about her magic this chapter:  
> 1\. Jasper it turned out was used to break drought. So, it became a gem that could summon rainstorms or torrents of water depending on how it's used, while two other varieties of Jasper were used for healing.  
> 2\. Angelite's use was to deflect psychic attacks and curses, so it became a forcefield.  
> 3\. Charoite was used to change bad luck into good luck, and was turned into a stone that can be used in magic to transform stuff into other stuff.  
> 4\. Sardonyx is related to Pyromancy... so fireballs.  
> 5\. The Sunstone was apparently just meant to be a confidence booster, but in Fanterra- especially the Oregon Sunstone that I used as a basis for the description for the one Irene has, basically acts as a "Fuck You" Beam, and officially makes Irene a version of Lina Inverse that also knows healing magic.  
> 6\. If you're wondering about the sword, it's magically reinforced Kyanite, which naturally forms in "blades" apparently, and can be used to cut emotional ties holding a person back. In Fanterra, this has been turned into a Kyanite blade being able to cut through people and enchantments (Pietro excluded), and also having the side effect of freezing things as well.
> 
> Finally, the last bit of the chapter? I'll admit that I listened to Killer Queen while writing it. Make of that what you will. 
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Team Jojo learns more about who Irene wants them to go get in Thornsborough, while Team Zeppeli meet someone on their way to Unicorn's Blade...


	7. On the Road Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Jojo begins their journey to Thornsborough on Irene's insistence, though on the way they do learn more about who exactly she wishes to recruit...
> 
> Meanwhile, Team Zeppeli encounter a mysterious woman on their way to the town of Unicorn's Blade...

"I can't believe we're taking a detour..." Jotaro said to himself the morning after they had allowed Irene into their group. While they were loading up the carriage with their gear- including a bit of armor for Jotaro and Joseph to use along with some clackers, bottles of wine, oil and anything else they could get that Joseph claimed would be 'useful for his other techniques' since Hermit Purple's main abilities were most likely unusable thanks to how low-tech the world of Fanterra was compared to their own. As for Jotaro, he simply tugged on the leather gauntlets Irene had given him that were comfortable and had metal studs covering the knuckles and joints for a little extra pain when he punched someone. While she did insist he have a weapon of some kind to defend himself, he insisted to just use his fists and his stand in a fight, so they reached a compromise with the gauntlets.

  
Of course, as they cost Irene a good 200 gold pieces just so they'd be high quality enough to not fall apart thanks to expert craftsmanship and a couple of enchantments, Jotaro grumbled about the price as he decided to try and take care of them and the rest of his clothes as much as possible. Though, he would still beat the crap out of anyone who put holes in his clothes like DIO did, even with the new leather armor he had covering his chest- which also happened to be on the expensive side.  
  
 _"I know we have unlimited funds thanks to Pietro's gifts... if the thing actually works, but still, I'm not fond of paying a lot for a pair of gloves."_ Jotaro thought in silence as he boarded the carriage and sat next to Pietro, while Joseph merely grinned as he sat next to Irene with Alphonse next to the other window. Once the carriage started moving though, the teen watched as Alphonse stuck his head out and panted, just like an ordinary dog would do the same for a car if the window was rolled down.  
  
The sight was enough to make Jotaro actually smile a bit in all honesty.  
  
As the moment passed and he returned to his normal stoic expression before anyone could notice and comment, Jotaro then looked over to Pietro, and saw him summon three mirrors to look for not just any sign of Prince Jonathan, but also for signs of Heirophant Black as well as whoever might have been behind this mess in the first place. Of course, as Jotaro watched, he couldn't help but comment on how Pietro had been handling his new powers since he woke up.  
  
"You seem to be pretty good with handling those powers of yours so far." Jotaro said, not quite sure if the stag was just lucky, or hiding something from the group.  
  
"I may be free from the mirror, but that doesn't mean I won't stop watching the world all of a sudden- it's just become as routine as eating meals to me." Pietro said as he took a moment to write things down in one of the new journals he bought in Gem Hill- after filling a few pages of one he decided to devote to his Botany studies with notes and sketches of Joseph and Hermit Purple, he had decided to use another journal to keep track of their current investigation- more for Joseph and Jotaro's sakes than his own, especially if Pietro had somehow been captured, knocked out, or possibly even killed.  
  
"Besides, I'm still a man who pursues scientific knowledge at heart, and while I specialize in Botany, figuring out how the residual magic of my prison affected my own abilities is just another thing to examine and experiment with. Besides, so far it's just the same thing I did in the tower- the only difference being I can actually travel again."  
  
Jotaro nodded as he realized that Pietro did have a point and decided to watch the mirrors with the stag as best as he could. Even if Pietro was more experienced, even he might have been able to miss something. Of course, it was then that he spotted a face he hadn't seen in a while and spoke up.  
  
"Can you go back a bit?" he then said to the stag, "I thought I recognized something."  
  
"Oh, of course." Pietro said, taking one mirror and once more showing the statue of a girl with golden hands, "I was just taking a moment to check on my home town. I know I'll have to go back there and break the stone curse, and I've been looking in every day to see who I might be able to return to normal in tact, well, once I figure out how to break it that is."  
  
"Figure out how?" Jotaro asked raising an eyebrow that was hidden by the brim of his hat.  
  
"Oh yes, normally curses have a parameter set by the caster that will end them in the incantation itself. Like with my own curse to never be free until I break... even though I hadn't thought it'd be literal as I assumed she was being poetic and meant heart break or my will or spirit breaking." Pietro said, looking rather embarrassed as he explained his own curse before his expression became rather worried, "However, Hildegarde turned herself into stone when I overheard the incantation from a shop window, and with her last breath simply stated that all within Deerbank be stone before setting a parameter."  
  
"So, she turned herself to stone, along with everyone else without even setting a way to undo it?" Jotaro asked causing Pietro to nod sadly. "So, what makes you think there's a way to break it at all?"  
  
"Because no curse is unbreakable if it doesn't tie itself to one's soul." Pietro said, "Petrification is physical rather than being related to destiny like souls are, and so it can be undone, all I need is a start... maybe the Joringle flower?"  
  
"The what?" Jotaro asked then, watching the statues of what looked like a man with glass wings fleeing from a woman holding a crossbow appear on the mirror as the stag began looking over his hometown.  
  
"A flower named after an ancestor of mine on father's side. Red, with a natural pearl in it like an oyster or a clam- despite being neither." Pietro said, "He used it to free his beloved Jorinda from a curse that turned her into a bird by a wicked witch that loved to separate lovers by petrifying men temporarily, while the girls were turned into song birds. Though, the residual magic of that curse didn't cause any avian features to be appear in the family, so the flower might have neutralized that as well." Pietro explained, showing the flower in a smaller mirror- or at least a drawing of one he'd seen once. "However, no one knows where they grow, and all of my ancestor's journals... well, they've crumbled to dust a very, very long time ago."  
  
"So, it may be extinct for all you know." Jotaro said as Pietro gave a grim nod.  
  
"Exactly." Pietro said as he then gave a small smile as Jotaro had figured something important out about the stag, "My inability to lie- despite what some may think about the idea meaning I know a lie when I hear it or might just know everything... is limited to my personal knowledge. So, there are indeed things that I just don't know, or could be wrong about because I was led to believe it was true- if I had no prior knowledge of it before that is."

Jotaro simply nodded in silence, before deciding to ask something else. "Why does your sister's statue have golden hands, anyway? Did she lose the originals at some point or-"  
  
"Oh no it's nothing like that!" Pietro said as he looked a bit embarassed about the question, "She was born with golden skin on her hands. While that's normally impossible, mother's family- the Fiore from Ringaia had an ancestor that dealt with a goblin by the name of Rumpelstiltskin."  
  
"I think my mother told me that one when I was little..." Jotaro then said, "The miller's daughter had the guy spin straw into gold for her in order to save her life, eventually promising her first child to him. However, when he came to collect, he decided to have her guess his name in order to give her a chance to keep her baby, she won and he left her alone, right?"  
  
"Well... more like when she succeeded, Rumpelstiltskin ended up throwing a tantrum, getting his foot stuck in a crack in the floor and tore himself into two. Though, an amount of golden magic had ended up hitting the newborn Aurelia Fiore and turning her whole body golden, yet she could still move and eat like a normal person. As a result, all of Aurelia's descendants are able to show they are tied to the Fiore bloodline due to a bit of gold on their bodies- be it an eye, a mark on their skin, a limb, their hair, tongue or really anywhere that can be seen at some point or another while that descendant is alive and usually have that gold give them a special ability or 'Golden Blessing' of some kind... though there are exceptions."  
  
"So, what 'Blessings' did you and your family have?" Jotaro then asked, feeling like he was kind of bonding a bit with the former mirror, and was answered by Pietro summoning three mirrors showing three different women.  
  
"Cousin Talia," Pietro then began, pointing to the mirror showing a woman slightly older than Pietro with tanned skin, black hair pulled up into a bun and different colored eyes- the left golden while the right was silver. The woman wore a gorgeous black gown with small diamonds and other gems sewn on to make it glitter like a starry night sky on a new moon while a silver crown adorned her head that was decorated with pale blue stones- the same ones as in Diomarlon's circlet as Jotaro recalled, while the stag continued to speak, "has a golden left eye that lets her know when someone is lying to her, as well the best path to take when she's at a crossroads in her life or a more literal one when she's traveling. Sadly, sometimes the best option isn't the happiest as it was with the son she had with Pucci, as if she had let the child live... the father would have done something terrible that would have made it wish for death as it got older... from what she told me anyway."  
  
Pietro then dismissed the mirror that showed his cousin before he pointed towards the second image- this one showing a much older woman with long black hair hanging loosely against her body, as well as a golden right eye and a silver left one as a mirror to Talia's own eyes, while she wore a set of silver and sapphire jewelry consisting of earrings, a tiara, and a necklace that all evoked the image of ocean waves. As Jotaro saw that the woman in the mirror wore a silver and navy gown with the phases of the moon embroidered across the shoulders and waist in silver, black, and royal blue thread, he realized that the set was rather fitting considering the connection between the moon and tides.  
  
"My mother Serena Fiore-Aifread, also had a golden eye but her ability was more offensive in nature. When she closed her silver eye, she could shoot an arrow of magic from her golden one- if she was angry enough, she could also fire a number of them off rapidly." Pietro then said- though his face and tone did show some sadness over the woman, which led to Jotaro silently wondering if the woman had died before everyone in Deerbank had turned to stone. "Though, luckily she didn't aim to kill my father when she found out the day I was born that he failed to mention the fact he was turned into a stag, but he did walk away with a scar on his cheek ever since that day."  
  
Finally, he showed an image of his sister as she was flesh and blood, this time wearing a golden gown with suns embroidered on it in red and orange, while also having a bunch of small, red roses attached to a comb in her hair- which was styled into a braided bun. As Jotaro could see that while the girl had pointed ears like her brother, her hair and tail were a pale blond as opposed to the reddish orange terracotta color Pietro had, as well as darker blue eyes instead of the icy blue ones of her brother. Of course, as he took note of the girl's hands, he saw that the skin was actually gold, but there was no sign of obvious joints pointing to a prosthetic pair as she wiggled her fingers around easily in the mirror. Of course, as she also looked about five years older than Pietro, Jotaro realized that the stag probably didn't age that much at all except for his antlers growing while in the mirror for two centuries.  
  
"My little sister Stella- she's twenty five here." Pietro said with a sad smile, "Her golden hands don't let her turn things to gold- thankfully, but rather they give her a healing touch. She can't have a person regrow lost limbs or use her powers to revive the dead, but she can mend wounds and help a person's body fight against a disease while a cure is made. Of course, due to father's time as a stag, Stella also has the gift of running at high speed much like myself... though unlike me, she was willing to participate in my aunt Cassandra's combat lessons in order to defend herself if she needed to."  
  
Jotaro simply nodded as the smaller mirrors were dismissed and he caught the glimpse of a statue of an old man in bed before the mirrors showed a pair of men in a library- one reminding the teen of a teacher he beat the crap out of once while the other seemed like a nice guy. Of course, as he watched Pietro go through other images of his home town, he remembered a couple of things and decided to ask about those as well.  
  
"What about Talia's son with Diomarlon, her son with Pucci and your own 'Golden Blessing?' Want to tell me about those?" Jotaro then asked, causing Pietro to freeze a bit and sigh as he summoned two more small mirrors, the first showing an alien looking baby about 18 months old with green skin that had leaf-like markings all over it, red seed-like eyes and finally a golden leaf on its forehead, before the image shimmered a bit to show how the child looked before- rather normal with a bit of black hair, silver eyes and the same golden mark on his forehead.  
  
"Talia's son with... that monster... was named Sol Domencio Pucci." Pietro said, his hatred of his cousin's first husband showing clear in his tone and his voice, "His mark of the Golden Blessing was on his forehead- as you can see, however his ability- or even if he had one was... never discovered thanks to what his father had done."  
  
Before Pietro could let his rage out further, the stag quickly dismissed the dead child's image and went to the next one- showing a three year old boy with golden hair and brown eyes like his father, though while Diomarlon's hair was just spiked here and there and mostly swept back, his son's own hair just swept to the side while his bangs had been styled into a trio of "Donut" looking whirls. Of course, Jotaro also noticed the young prince was dressed in a little blue coat with gold piping and a cut out of a heart showing a white undershirt, while there were little wings on the collar and also lady bug charms on his cuffs and shoes to make him look a bit adorable as the young prince's image gave a shy looking smile.  
  
"Prince Gino Luneth White has his Golden Blessing in the form of a pair of wing-shaped marks on his left shoulder, his ability from them involves bringing random objects to life, as if they were actual creatures." Pietro then said before sighing as he became extremely embarrassed once he dismissed the image and came to his own blessing. "My own however... is a gold star on my right buttock. As far as I am aware... I don't have any abilities from it."  
  
"So that's why Peri called you Starbutt?" Jotaro asked while Pietro went back to scanning Deerbank.  
  
"Yes." The stag said as he blushed rather noticeably, "Please don't call me that, and I'd rather not bring it up again if it can be avoided."  
  
Jotaro simply nodded in silence, before spotting something that caused him to ask the stag to stop for a moment as he whispered something to the stag before pointing towards Joseph. As Pietro then raised an eyebrow, he simply nodded and turned the mirror around to show the brunette as he was busy chatting with Irene and ignoring what his grandson and Pietro went on about so far.  
  
"...So, then I tell the guy-" Joseph said to Irene, only for Jotaro to get his grandfather's attention by pulling out his own notebook, tearing out a blank page, and after folding it up into a paper football, flicked it at the man's head, "Ow! Jotaro, what was that for?"  
  
Jotaro ended up saying nothing as he pointed to the mirror that was now facing Joseph, depicting an armless statue of a man on the wrecked remains of a cart still attached to a horse that seemed to have its back half turned to stone, while the other half was a skeleton.  
  
"Okay, so why are you showing me some creepy art?" Joseph asked, while Jotaro just gave a flat look towards his grandfather for a moment.  
  
"Take a look at the statue behind the horse, you old fart." Jotaro then said rudely, "Doesn't it remind you of someone we knew back home?"  
  
"Watch your tone." Joseph said as he sent a quick glare towards his grandson, especially as he remembered how Jotaro casually called his mother a bitch to her face when they first met. Of course, as he looked at the statue, he noted that while it was lacking a certain earring-necklace and overcoat- the way the statue's hair was tied upward into a series of small towers as well as the twin ruts in the statue's face looking like a pair of scars caused Joseph to put his hands on his cheeks.  
  
"OH! MY! GOD!" he then shouted, causing Alphonse to whine as it accidentally smacked Joseph with its tail and also causing the brunette to sputter a bit and spit out fur that might have gotten into his mouth, "It looks just like Avdol when he died... according to Polnareff anyway. Do you think it's our Avdol? Or just his Fanterran Double?"  
  
Before Jotaro could answer, Pietro then threw in his two cents.  
  
"Actually... he was just a merchant from Scherezade that didn't get out of Deerbank in time." the stag explained, unintentionally dashing Joseph's hopes of getting a good friend of his back in the process, "As for the horse... I'm afraid it was right at the boundary of Deerbank when it was hit and... died over time. I didn't watch how though, mainly because I don't like to see innocent creatures or people suffer. Hildegarde and Talia's first husband however..."  
  
"So Irene!" Joseph then said quickly in order to change the subject before things got a bit too uncomfortable, "How long will it take to get to Thornsborough?"  
  
"Well, if we had gone there on foot, it would have taken us at least a week if the weather was on our side, and if there weren't any bandits or natural disasters on the road." Irene said, "But, since we're going there by carriage, we should get there in just a couple of days!"  
  
"And who is it you plan on looking for exactly?" Jotaro then asked, remembering that Irene seemed to avoid the question while they were still in town. Though, seeing it was just the five of them- especially since Jotaro counted Alphonse as part of the team thanks to his help against Peri, Irene simply gave a smile before she spoke.  
  
"Well, I'm hoping to see if a shapeshifter by the name of Carmen Wood's there, so I can ask her about our real potential ally- Koriander the Slayer."  
  
As Joseph and Jotaro both looked confused, the teenage Stardust Crusader noted that their remaining comrades of Alphonse the alphyn and Pietro Aifread both looked at Irene in fear, and if the draconic wolf recognized the name the princess had so cheerfully dropped, Jotaro took it as a sign that this "Koriander the Slayer" was not just a person with a title that just intimidated people- but they had a good reason for being called such as well.  
  
"Irene did you lose your mind in Spherean!?" Pietro then asked after letting out a shriek that sounded exactly like a deer that was in a lot of pain- half angry and and half scared going by his tone of voice and the frightened deer noises he made before continuing, "You... you want us to recruit th-the slayer _herself!?"  
_  
"Well, yes." Irene said calmly, "As I said, she owes me a favor, so if she wants to repay her debt, she's going to have to help us find and rescue Jonathan!"  
  
"Who is Koriander the Slayer, exactly?" Jotaro then asked while Joseph rubbed his ears and cursed under his breath at Pietro's scream and how a human throat shouldn't be able to make that noise in the first place.  
  
"Koriander the Slayer is the most dangerous and frightening woman alive in Fanterra." Pietro said as he nervously began a lecture and summoned a mirror depicting a woman with straight, bright red hair, a long, thin face that seemed to be halfway between an inverted triangle and a heart that looked highly unsettling when combined with the wide grin and the scars that seemed to make the woman's dark red eyes seem to look outright demonic. Especially since she was wearing black metal armor with blood flecked silver accents along with an orange cape that was soaked with blood while a fire was burning behind the maniac as she laughed like she had just heard the best jokes in the world- or the lamest ones if her sense of humor was as bad as she looked.  
  
Considering the facts that Pietro claimed he couldn't lie, and had spent a lot of time just watching the world, Jotaro wasn't even going to ask if the image was an exaggeration since he'd most likely be told that it was a memory as the stag continued with the lecture.  
  
"Koriander's true identity is a complete mystery as no one seems to know what family she's from, but what everyone who's heard of her can agree on- is that she's human, and started out in swamp kingdom of Spherean- home of several magic schools and mages of all types. Some say she's a fallen Crystal Knight who went insane after losing her magical power and became a sellsword and killer for hire serving the highest bidder, others claim that she's a human born with a demon within her instead of an actual soul that gave her an instinct on how to kill, while still others claim that she's a mage's experiment gone horribly- wrong or right is debatable of course.  
  
"Koriander the Slayer first gained notice when she battled the dreaded Vararch to a draw." Pietro then said, the mirror changing to show a younger Koriander- with just a black leather cuirass over a mint green shirt and leather pants instead of the armor she wore in the previous image- facing off against something lurking in the shadows of a cave- the creature's presence only hinted at by a pair of glowing eyes close to the ground, and continued his lecture while showing images relating to the Slayer.  
  
"She would then go on to face dragons, Spherean Swamp Chickens, and whatever else was dangerous and needed to be slain across Six out of seven kingdoms of Fanterra." The mirror then showed Koriander facing not just a giant red dragon, but also firebreathing chickens and other things, while a map of the part of the world they were on appeared in the background with Miravel in the middle, "Golemia" to the north, Ringaia to the south west by the ocean, Clawthorn just north of that, "Scherezade" to the east, and further to the northeast, Spherean- which seemed to be rather close to Golemia as well. Though her battles were shown on the mainland, there was a series of islands far to the west of Clawthorn labled "Usaginaba" that didn't get any battles taking place there- most likely due to Koriander never having gone there.  
  
"Then, she added slaying people to her skills, beginning with Count Cage of Catkiln County, Clawthorn five years ago- as Count Cage had no heirs, his former domain has been absorbed into the Stonehill Barony." As the mirror showed what looked like a human man with some cat-like features to his face, blonde hair that was loosely combed back with some locks out of place and pale blue eyes, Jotaro couldn't help but feel like the man's face was something he'd have really loved to punch in. As the victim wore a pale blue tunic over a green and gold striped shirt, pants that matched the tunic and finally a brooch that looked like a cat-eared human skull with its mouth open, the passengers of the carriage cringed as they then saw the man be run through with a sword that held the same skull on the pommel as his brooch, before Koriander added in a bit of overkill as she then picked the man up, carried him to a balcony of his home, and finally threw him down onto the courtyard where he was run over by a cart. However, the slayer _still_ wasn't done yet as she then took what was left of the dead man, opened up a secret passage under the courtyard's fountain revealing a swarm of prisoners raising their hands as if they were expecting food, and threw the count into it before leaving the area- and also leaving the passage open as the dead count was torn apart.  
  
"In a total of ten years, Koriander the Slayer went from a hero, to a monster that parents on the part of the world we're in now would tell their children about to make sure they'd behave- essentially a bogeywoman." Pietro said as the mirror suddenly just showed Koriander's most neutral expression- even then showing a slight smile on her lips and a mad look in her eyes, surrounded by question marks, "However, just a few months ago, Koriander the Slayer simply... vanished as mysteriously as she appeared.. While most- including myself, hope that the slayer might have been slain at last... some people, like Irene apparently, believe that she's still alive and is simply in hiding."  
  
As Jotaro nodded, Joseph simply looked at Irene flatly as the stag dismissed all of his summoned mirrors.  
  
"So...." Joseph then said, "Why exactly do you want us to work with a killer who might end up becoming an enemy later?"  
  
While Joseph alone was aware of the fact that he once worked with Nazis against Kars- and also got a new hand thanks to his friend Stroheim, any similarities of what Irene was planning might have had to his own youth was currently overlooked.  
  
"Because, Koriander owes me a favor." Irene said, crossing her arms and giving the brunette a glare that caused him to back down.  
  
Jotaro on the other hand...  
  
"What sort of favor?" the teen then asked as he watched Irene carefully.  
  
"I'll tell you once we find her." she then said quickly, "Let's just get to Thornsborough and talk to Carmen about it as soon as possible, ok? Carmen's a friend of mine and the last person to see Koriander before she vanished, so she may have some info on where she might have gone."  
  
 _"She's hiding something..."_ Jotaro thought as he frowned slightly before adding out loud, "So, why can't we just have Pietro contact her like he did for Veronica and her group?"  
  
Irene flinched a bit at the question before glaring at Jotaro as she answered, "Because Carmen's a shapeshifter from Spherean, and since her kind aren't well liked there by most mages due to being unable to use magic like the rest of Fanterra, they're treated more like second hand citizens at best, and as a result any born there try and leave as soon as they can. Carmen herself doesn't even _like_ magic being used around her, so if we want her to cooperate, we'll have to go talk to her face to face, _in Thornsborough."  
_  
Jotaro simply nodded, getting a feeling that if he continued to ask about it, Irene would probably try and use her magic on him. Though, while he still found the whole thing was suspicious, he decided he couldn't jump to conclusions just yet, and decided to wait and see as more information presented itself before solving this little mystery.  
  
 _"I wonder if Veronica's team is having to deal with anything like this?"_

~0~

Meanwhile in Northern Ringaia- close to the forest border between the coastal kingdom and the plain and woodland filled kingdom of Clawthorn, Team Zeppeli was riding along in their cart at a slow pace as Wamu had decided to tone down his driving once they started entering the woods- mainly because it'd be harder to maneuver the cart with his usual driving if they were attacked. Of course, as they hadn't been attacked since yesterday, the trio had wondered if it was just because Carson's goons needed a chance to recuperate after their last beating.

Of course, as the cart began to slow down, Veronica and Ricky did their best to look past Wamu to see what was going on- only to find that a lone woman with pale skin, long black hair that went down to her waist and wearing what seemed from a distance to be a simple, pale green and black kimono tied together by a thin black sash on her body- long enough to not drag through the dirt for traveling, but still loose enough to not restrict one's movement without being improper. As Veronica noticed as the cart moved closer, the woman was moving around to try and pick up bolts of cloth that were scattered about the area, and decided to have Wamu stop the cart so she could go out and help- especially since what seemed to the Earthling to be a Japanese woman had a crossbow bolt in her right shoulder, and might need help.

Ricky however, had sniffed the air in case this was a trap of some sort and moved to put a hand on the silver haired girl's shoulder, causing her to stop and look at him to see that he was a bit on edge at the moment.

"Be careful Veze." he then whispered, "Something... smells off here."

"Don't worry, I will." Veronica then whispered back, before getting out of the cart and walking over to the woman who watched her curiously, before the silver haired young woman spoke up, "Do you need some help?"

"Yes, thank you." the brown-eyed stranger said softly, and as Veronica noticed now that she was much closer, the kimono robe was actually rather detailed as she saw that the pale green was really just a dark green that had been lightened by a large number of white threads that formed a series of spiderweb patterns on the silk, while the black areas- including the sash were decorated with very minute red dots that showed that despite how plain looking it was from afar, up close it was rather elegant.

Of course, after appreciating the very well made outfit, Veronica then moved to get the bolt out of the woman's shoulder, causing the stranger to cringe in the process. Of course, once it was removed, the Ripple Mistress then took a deep breath and focused as she sent waves of energy into the injured woman's body, causing the wound to heal up rather quickly.

"A strange magic you have there, miss...?" the woman said after raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Veronica Zeppeli, my friends Ricky and Wandorian are on our way to Appledale to meet with someone there." the silver haired girl then said as she moved to pick up a bolt of pink silk off the ground.

"Call me, Arachne the Seamstress." the soft spoken woman said as she grabbed the fabric first, "Please don't get blood on my materials."

"Sorry." Veronica said as Ricky got out of the cart to help while also snatching the bolt out of Veronica's hand without her noticing and took a moment to examine it before slipping it into a pouch on his belt and after wiping his hands on the grass, started picking up the other materials consisting of bolts of cotton, linen and other woven materials before waiting for a bit of a heads up on where to put them as he spoke next.

"So, what happened to ya?" the wolf asked, a bit suspicious of the seamstress.

"I was heading to Unicorn's Blade to rest a bit while heading towards Ashford County to take care of something that requires my attention." Arachne said softly as ever, "However, I was ambushed by bandits, and while I managed to bluff them into leaving by claiming a connection to Marik Zavriel... I still managed to get injured."

"Who's Marik Zavriel?" Veronica asked, while Ricky coughed a bit and lowered his hat over his eyes.

"The scorpion tailed son of a monster-loving whore." the wolf said, which earned him a smack to the cheek from Veronica.

"Ricky, that's no way to talk about a woman!" she then said, only to earn a chuckle from Arachne.

"No, no, it's fine in the case of the Zavriel Matriarch." Arachne said with a small smile, "Especially since it's a very... _apt_ way of describing her."

"Oh... uh... sorry Ricky." Veronica then said as she blushed out of embarrassment, "A-Anyway, since we're heading towards Unicorn's Blade too, mind if we give you a ride?"

"Not at all, thank you." Arachne said as she took her supplies to the cart and place them in the back, before returning to pick up the rest of her belongings with Veronica and Ricky's help. While she sat down in the back of the cart in order to rest, and also just happened to sit a bit close to Wamu- who she had noticed was looking at her when the others weren't paying attention- as he remained in the driver's seat, she looked at the large warrior for a moment before she spoke.

"Have we met before?"

"No, I don't think so." Wamu said, having flinched for a moment before he answered Arachne, "You... just look like someone from a story my mother told me once, about how a mysterious and beautiful seamstress of Usaginaban descent helped a serving girl marry the master of Ashford County. Mostly by making her three gowns and a pair of golden slippers to wear to a trio of balls held to allow the young Count to find himself a bride- one gown that seemed to reflect the sky as it shifted from dawn to dusk, one that seemed to hold the beauty hidden in a storm without showing any of the rage that hid it, and finally one that actually changed to reflect the four seasons through the night of the final ball."

Arachne simply chuckled a bit, "I admit, that is quite the coincidence-my resemblance to a figure from a thirty year old tale that is. Though, no one really mentions what happens after 'Happily Ever After' for most tales, so I sometimes wonder how the lady Cendrillion is doing these days."

Wamu was silent for a moment, his grip tightening on the reins as he saw from the corner of his eye that Ricky looked on in concern towards the warrior, before the gladiator spoke again.

"I have heard that she... rests easy, now that the woman who made her a servant when she was meant to be a mother towards the girl had passed on, while her step-sisters have been forgiven after their eyes were pecked out by birds for supporting their mother's actions." he said as calmly as he could, just as Veronica had picked up a rolled up set of needles and was about to head back onto the cart, when Ricky stopped her.

"Be on your guard, but don't be rude to Arachne." the wolf whispered again, "She smells like a fae, and they can be pretty nasty if you piss them off."

Veronica simply nodded as she climbed on the cart, sitting next to the raven haired woman while Ricky sat facing the road behind them and his hand crossbow pulled out and ready to fire in case of a sneak attack from behind, while Wamu kept an eye out on the road ahead. Of course, as the wolf kept watch, he also thought about the bolt Veronica had pulled out- how it was made of iron and how Arachne name-dropped one of Calina's children just to scare off some bandits. However, as he had taken a sniff of the bolt just to make sure her story checked out, he couldn't help but noticed not only fae blood- but the scent of not just Veronica when she briefly handled the thing, but two more scents- one belonging to a male feline bestial elf who Ricky assumed was the bolt's original owner, while the other scent was something he didn't know how to describe or identify.

Though, the fact that she seemed to make his own bodyguard uneasy was what had him on edge the most- especially since as long as Ricky knew the man, nothing made the gladiator nervous, not even other women from Usaginaba that passed through Bella Aquae- as rare as it was to see them on the main land could do this to him. However, this woman in particular had managed to do something that the wolf thought was impossible.

_"Just who is this dame?"_ he thought to himself, while he used his pointed ears to listen in on Veronica's conversation with her- hoping to pick up something that might count as a clue.

"This is a very interesting scarf, Miss Zeppeli." Arachne said, taking part of the black and white checkered scarf in her hands with just enough strength to hold onto it, but with enough gentleness to avoid wrinkling or damaging the material, "Just by looking at it, I can tell it isn't made from Spider Silk."

"Wow, really?" Veronica said in genuine surprise, "That's pretty impressive! But you're right, it isn't spider silk- but yarn from a Satiporoja Beetle. But, I don't know what they look like or where to find them, so I'm afraid I can't really help you get some for yourself.... sorry."

"It's fine." Arachne said, rubbing the scarf against her face and smiling at how it felt against her skin as she let out a soft hum. Of course, as Arachne opened her eyes again and saw the collar around Veronica's neck- and more importantly, the blue stone that had been hidden underneath it, she then let the scarf go before smiling gently towards Veronica. "Congratulations by the way."

"Congratulations? For what?" Veronica asked, while Arachne simply tilted her head slightly in surprise.

"No one told you what that stone around your neck means?" the seamstress asked, only for Veronica to shake her head, "Interesting... that stone is a sign that a fae was captured by a human and with that capture, they are wed under fae law."

"But, I never caught a fae." Veronica said clearly confused and shocked as she learned she was practically married to some stranger, "All I know is that I found this stone on the ground back home, and when that monster Heirophant Black showed up and brought me to F... _Bella Aquae,_ it turned into a collar when this Ethereas guy showed up to save me... before I passed out."

While Arachne seemed to be slightly surprised by the mention of Ethereas while Veronica did her best not to mention that she was from another world on Ricky's advice, she said nothing about it before asking something else.

"Heirophant Black? What did that look like? Can you remember?"

"Yeah... it's body seemed to be made of this black, stretchy goo or something, with silver armor here and there, and also silver bug eyes and its mouth covered up by an apparatus of some sort." Veronica said, causing Arachne's face to turn very grim as Ricky chose just then to look at the two girls.

"You heard of anything like that before, Miss Arachne?" Ricky said, not having a last name to work with for his usual nicknaming and due to the smell of fae he caught from that bolt, as he didn't want to risk offending her by asking for one.

"No, it just sounds... frightening to probably see in person." Arachne said as quietly as ever, before her eyes returned to the stone on Veronica's neck. She found it strange that it appeared when the girl apparently hadn't caught a fae by accident- like what usually happened when such marriages occurred between fae and humans or other mortals, but still had her "wedding ring" on her throat.

_"I wonder what this could mean?"_ she thought to herself, while continuing to make small talk with Veronica about clothes while seemingly unaware of the Big Bad Wolf that was now even more suspicious of the mysterious seamstress.  


~0~

Evening in the quiet town of Unicorn's Blade was the same as always- not many people out in the street as they all went home for the night, and with a very unlikely chance of someone coming out and mugging you. In fact, as a young girl about fifteen years old hummed to herself as she walked home from spending time at a friend's house, the brown haired and blue-eyed young lady in a simple yellow dress thought that like always, things would be safe.

That is, until a very unfamiliar- and ugly face came out from behind another building, a knife pointed at the girl as he gave a grin that showed he only had four teeth. The fact he also had two right hands also showed he might have been inbred as well.

"Well hello there cutie..." the stranger- and as the girl smelled alcohol on his breath knew he was drunk, especially as another drunk showed up and grabbed her from behind- this one with long, wavy brown hair and a gold headband with a heart sitting lopsided on his head while a mandolin hung off of his back signifying he was a minstrel, "Why don't we see how you look without the dress?"

"Leave me alone you bastards!" The girl said, struggling against her captor's hold as the inbred ogre tried to lift up the girl's skirt- only for the hand to be lopped off by a blade.

"What the?" the uglier drunk then said not even feeling pain at the bleeding stump as he looked at it and watched it start to heal instantly- though his hand wasn't coming back anytime soon, while his comrade just stared in confusion, only for him to be kicked from behind- and right in the manhood as he ended up letting go of his charge.

"Oh... low blow, with a metal boot. Not fair..." the better looking drunk said as his voice went up a few octaves while their former captive moved to the side and let her two saviors introduce themselves- one an armored knight with yellow eyes and a thin waist who also seemed very mechanical in nature, while the other much more obviously human as he had silver hair that stood up a couple of inches at the front, was completely flat up top, and just flowed down the back of his neck, while his blue eyes glared at the two drunks. The silver haired man also wore armor that was dyed red, with a rose sculpted on one shoulder while he also had a pair of gray pants and earrings that looked like half of a broken heart.

Of course, as the drunks got up and were prepared to fight, they soon saw that both their attackers had a sword in each hand- with the human having one blade stained with blood, and as the minstrel simply used his mandolin as a club as he charged in and attacked the more normal of the pair, his uglier friend went in to try and punch the mechanical knight.

"I wouldn't if I were you." The human knight then said casually as he blocked the mandolin- especially once it revealed to have a blade hidden in it that cut a bit of hair from the hero's forehead, only to sigh as the idiot of the pair ended up banging his good hand against the machine and let out a cry of pain, only for the mechanical, silver knight to look down and seemingly get annoyed at the smudge on its armor, before grabbing its attacker by the collar of his shirt and lifting him off the ground.

"And my partner seems to want you to apologize." The more talkative of the pair then said, while calmly parrying the attacks heading his way from the much more challenging minstrel, before talking to the other man. "As for you, do you know how rude it is to grab a young girl like you had?"

"Eh, shut the hell up hero-boy!" The minstrel said, "Geil's just a mute, so no apology for that bucket of gears you're calling a partner!"

The minstrel then landed a lucky hit in his opponent's leg, only for his face to pale as he didn't even hear his opponent scream. Of course, before he could question it, the mechanical knight ended up being quite offended by the musician's insult, and threw his comrade at the bard, sending them both flying down the street as its partner pulled the mandolin out of his leg rather like it was nothing.

"Tch, looks like we should add 'attacking and lying to a Knight of Clawthorn' to their crimes." the knight in red then said out of irritation, before looking towards his partner, "Shall we finish them off, _mon ami?"  
_  
As the machine then gave a nod, the man then smirked as he cleaned his blood-stained blade before sheathing them both, his mechanical partner doing the same before they both charged at the two drunks, and gave them both a swift kick in the ass right into a cart of manure.

"There we go, throwing the trash right were it belongs." the knight said as he clapped his hands as his partner repeated the action, only for the man to pause as he remembered about the mandolin on the ground, and as he moved to pick it up, looked back at the cart of shit and grinned, "Oh _Monsieur_ , you forgot your mandolin!"

With that said, he then chucked the instrument into the cart- and while the mandolin ended up stabbing the inbred monster in the brain and killed him instantly, the monster's partner was already out cold thanks to the smell affecting his delicate stomach.

"Way to go big brother!" the rescued girl said, before hugging the silver haired man from behind and getting his attention.

"Oh Sherry, why didn't you run on home after we showed up?" the knight then said, only for the girl to smile.

"Well, I wanted to see you fight, duh." she then said as the man gave her an annoyed look, before looking at her brother's leg, "Mom's not going to be happy about your leg though..."

"I know, I know..." the knight said as he ran his hand over his hair in exasperation, "But, it's not too bad, a little work and it'll be good as new! Besides, at least that minstrel didn't end up hitting anything important. See?"

As the knight then moved his injured- and yet not even bleeding leg like normal, Sherry then sighed while giving an exaggerated shrug before she spoke, "I still want to make sure to examine it fully, besides, wasn't this supposed to be your night off?"

"Well, yes..." the knight then said as he blushed a bit before giving his sister a serious look, "But if I wasn't taking a volunteer patrol out of boredom, you could have been killed, or worse, understand?"

"Yeah..." Sherry said as she looked rather frightened of the grim reality of her situation earlier, "Thanks for saving me though, big brother."

"You're welcome Sherry." the knight said with a soft smile, before grabbing the young girl's hand, "Now, what say to the three of us going home before mother and father panic about you being out late again?"

"Hey, I stopped working on that when I got caught, remember?" Sherry said in annoyance as her brother knew full well what she was talking about, "No way am I heading into the woods again after that."

"And you shouldn't- _especially at night."_ her brother said as he took on an over the top evil grin as he got real close to his sister's face, "Otherwise... The Spider Witch might get you!~"

As he then spooked his younger sister by suddenly tickling her ribs and forcing her to laugh, he stopped teasing the girl as they started heading home for the night, while unaware that starting the following day, the knight's quiet life was going to be turned upside down...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New JJBA Alternates/Cameos showing up/mentioned in this chapter:  
> 1\. Prince Gino Luneth White= 3 year old Giorno Giovanna.  
> 2\. Sol Domencio Pucci= The Green Baby, after he got mutated.  
> 3\. ???= Jean Pierre Polnereff.  
> 4\. ???= Silver Chariot  
> 5\. Young girl rescued at the end of the chapter= Sherry Polnereff  
> 6\. Geil the Ugly Inbred Drunk= J. Geil  
> 7\. The Drunk Minstrel= Vanilla Ice  
> 8\. The Armless Merchant in Deerbank= Avdol.  
> 9\. The Late Count Cage= Yoshikage Kira
> 
> This chapter's title also comes from the Willy Nelson song "On the Road Again."
> 
> Anyway, so... it not only seems that Veronica Zeppeli is married under fae law to Ethereas/Kakyoin, but there's also the fact that Wamu may be hiding something important about himself and then there's the fact that Irene wants to bring in the most frightening woman in Fanterra onto Team Jojo. 
> 
> Speaking of Koriander the Slayer, I had a lot of fun writing out Pietro's infodump for her, and was told by a friend that it actually seemed natural instead of forced into the narrative, so... expect Pietro to use his mirrors to lecture about stuff in the future, ok?
> 
> As for the Golden Blessing of the Fiore Family, while most of Pietro's relatives on his mother's side have powers thanks to it, he doesn't because well... Duds happen, folks. But yeah. Pietro definitely doesn't have any abilities from his birthmark. 
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: A look into a day in the life of Polnareff's double and Team Jojo runs into trouble...


	8. Save Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Team Jojo encounters a face from Pietro's past, A knight in the town of Unicorn's Blade finds himself getting into a bit of trouble...

Morning in the town of Unicorn's Blade was met by a man with blue eyes, and silver hair that was currently suffering from a bad case of bed head in the back. His name- despite looking like someone he never met in a world he'd never heard of with a power he never even thought possible, was Pierre Vojtech Polheffer, a man of 22 years with pale skin, a well-muscled body fit for a Knight of Clawthorn, and as he removed the bed sheets covering up his body, no actual legs below the halfway point of his thighs- through the stumps were covered by metal connectors that were waiting for something to be plugged into them.  
  
"Ah, another dawn, and another day of patrolling and keeping my hometown safe!" the legless knight said with a great smile as he opened his window, took a big breath of fresh air and finally turned his body to grab the silver clockwork legs waiting on the other side of his bed. After plugging one in and turning it to lock it into place and repeating the action with the other one, he then reached for a pendant on a silver chain that looked a lot like a cracked metal heart covered in pink enamel. Upon clicking a button on the back though, the pendant opened up like a beetle's wing case to reveal a wind-up key hidden inside. After using it to get his legs working by locking them to the connectors and then letting the natural energy of his body flow through the mechanical limbs as they ticked to life- the process of how it worked being a Golemian secret that his mother had only shared with his younger sister Sherry, due to the girl wanting to be a tinker as well and also in the event something had happened to Mrs. Polheffer.  
  
Of course, as the damage from last night's fight was fixed up thanks to a quick replacement of the casing and a couple of gears that lost a tooth, the knight was very grateful the damage was only that much- if it had been more, then his mother and father would kill him. After all, making clockwork replacement limbs was a difficult process, especially when he had to get replacement legs every year from when he was 8 to when he was 20, all because his body was still growing after the accident.  
  
Just thinking about it was enough to make the knight shudder, before he stood up with just his underwear on and started stretching out the muscles he still had for the rest of his body- mainly by arching his back before doing a few toe-touches, some twists for his waist and a few test-punches for his reflexes before he decided to get dressed. After putting on a white, long-sleeved tunic under a black leather jerkin tied together with pink, silk cords on the front and a pair of knee-length, soft leather pants before slipping on his more "Casual" armor consisting of a silver breastplate that had been dyed red, the rose sculpted pouldron and a plain, brass piece of shoulder armor over his upper body, before slipping on the bracers for his arms, his sword-belts and finally spending time to comb his hair in the mirror and get it standing up at the top enough to make the already tall knight look even taller.  
  
Not to mention it'd make him look more professional in case of an inspection from the top knight of Clawthorn and Pierre's superior, the Rose Knight were to occur.  
  
Once he was done and slipped his key-pendant around his neck, Pierre then left his attic-bedroom and went downstairs to the second floor of his home where the other areas of his house such as the kitchen, living room, and his parents and sister's rooms were found- mainly because the ground floor was made into a shop by his mother. On his way to the kitchen for some breakfast- and also making sure not to run into any of the clockwork machines his sister had built to handle things such as carrying baskets of dirty laundry, sending messages across the house or even just one of her three automatons consisting of a snake she named Doobie (she was five when she built it), a small dog named Iggy built at age ten, or even her latest one- a turtle that could also double as a walking chest, first aid kit or what was necessary for the occasion that she loved to call Little Coco. Of course, as he saw the white and black enameled automaton with only three legs, Iggy, head his way, the dog just glared at him with its crystal blue eyes while Pierre saw the tempered glass sphere set into the top of its head flash red to show its mood before it continued walking.  
  
_"Still won't forgive me for failing to get his leg back, will he? Well, at least the damn mutt isn't attacking my hair again."_ he thought to himself as he decided not to speak in case he gave the little machine any ideas. Sure, when it was first built, it started exploring the town like a curious puppy before a falcon dove down to attack it- and unfortunately stealing Iggy's leg as it ran away, but Pierre did spend days looking for the missing limb to try and cheer his sister up, only to learn the bird had been shot down and the leg nowhere to be found- most likely stolen by a hunter. Of course, when it looked like he couldn't even have a chance to continue his search without staying beyond the break from the Knight Academy he had worked hard to get into, he had to give up.  
  
The next break he gained to go home and visit his family, however, he ended up learning that not only could a clockwork golem show emotions if they have a core like the one Iggy had in its head, but he also learned that such golems could hold grudges as well. Mainly because Iggy had ambushed Pierre the moment he entered the door to his mother's shop like a damn cat and started chewing on his hair. Of course, as the clockwork dog didn't replicate the needs of its normal counterpart, Pierre had a good feeling that if it was a real dog, it'd probably be much worse.  
  
A moment later, Pierre then stopped by a window looking out at the backyard- where a training course had been set up and maintained so that people like himself could get used to any major limbs such as arms and legs being replaced with clockwork after an accident. As he watched that someone was busy going through the course right then, he smiled and opened the window to call out to them.  
  
"Morning, Papa!" Pierre said, getting the attention of a man who seemed to be mostly metal and clockwork that was in the middle of an exercise where he hung upside down from a metal bar with his knees, and used his upper body to pull himself up while his hands were behind his head. This, was the former knight Hans Polheffer, and when he became the first man to have clockwork replace his abdomen as well as artificial organs implanted so he could still live, he had worked day and night to get used to his new body- mainly to re-inspire his son to become a knight even after he lost his legs in the accident. While Hans himself couldn't be an active knight anymore due to how his new body would handle a battle was currently unknown- even after about 14 years, Pierre was still surprised at how his father seemed to let nothing deter him- even nearly dying.  
  
Of course, as Pierre remembered that once Hans had learned his wife and her brother had saved him together, the young knight honestly couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered his father's first words after that discovery-  
  
_"GOLEMIAN CLOCKWORK IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD!!!!~"_  
  
"Morning to you as well, Pierre!" Hans then called out, drawing his son out of his thoughts, "You best work hard this week, don't forget that Sir Leonne is coming for an inspection to see how you're doing!"  
  
"Don't worry Papa, I'll be prepared for his arrival!" Pierre said with a grin as he headed off into the kitchen, only to be hit in the face with a freshly baked blueberry muffin.  
  
_"So much for being prepared for anything like I was trained."_ Pierre thought to himself as he saw the source of the muffin attack- his sister's invention that was meant to plate food and have it ready to eat had malfunctioned as it was firing off muffins at high speed while the fifteen-year-old Tinker had been trying to shut it off, while her clockwork snake rested on her shoulders. As she was wearing goggles over her eyes and also a leather apron over an old shirt and pants with a pair of black boots, it was clear that she was just trying to make a few adjustments without getting oil on her nicer clothes when things went sideways.  
  
So, Pierre decided to help by taking a hit from the moving contraption when it went for his sister's face- he thanked the fact he wore his armor when it clanged against his back and stopped before it could fire off another muffin.  
  
"Thanks," Sherry said then, looking mortified about the screw-up. "Are you okay though?"  
  
"I'm fine." Pierre said with a smile, "Though, you may need to work on loosening the exit a bit, just so you don't have a muffin canon on your hands."  
  
"I know, I know!" Sherry said with a sigh, "I hate it when things malfunction..."  
  
"Well, look at it this way," Pierre said as he tried to cheer his little sister up, "If there's a problem, then you can keep working on it until it's fixed, and put more of your self into what you do to improve things, like all the great Tinkers in Fanterra!"  
  
"Yeah, I guess you have a point." Sherry said smiling a bit before hugging her brother as she gave a chuckle, "Though, it was pretty funny seeing you get outsmarted by a muffin- Mister Prepared-for-anything!"  
  
"No one's perfect, little sister."  
  
As the Polheffer siblings laughed, Pierre decided to make himself some eggs for breakfast along with one of the remaining muffins loaded into the machine- after removing all of them, putting them in a large bowl and setting it on the table of course.  
  
After Breakfast was done, Pierre finally headed down into the shop on the first floor, where his mother was busy repairing a customer's pocket watch while they were out taking care of other business when she looked up to see her son- the middle-aged, and blue-eyed woman with graying black hair smiling as Pierre walked over to her.  
  
"Morning, mother." he said as he kissed her on the cheek, "I'm heading off on patrol now, so I'll see you later for dinner."  
  
"Stay safe out there, especially if you go patrol in the woods." she then said and as Pierre gave a nod, the knight then headed to the front door and opened it up.  
  
Only to be met with his partner from the night before, carrying a bag of bread and meat in one arm, and with a "HORA!~" prepared to smack Pierre's face with its other metal fist. Thankfully, the silver-haired young man ducked just in time before getting out of the way, a smile on his face as he spoke to the mechanical knight.  
  
"Not this time, Char!" he said, while the other knight looked at him with a bit of irritation.  
  
Silchariot, also known as "Char," was one of two humanoid Automatons built by Pierre's mother and his uncle. While Silchariot was built for battle, protection and later training Pierre while he was getting used to his new legs, the mechanical swordsman's "sister," known as Dr. Vitaliskaya was designed for non-magical medical assistance, and when the accident occurred, it was the good doctor who performed the operations that inadvertently saved not just Pierre's life, but more importantly his father's. However, when Pierre's uncle Voltan decided to travel, he took the mechanical doctor with him, while Char stayed with the Polheffers.  
  
As for Pierre and Char's relationship, while they were the best of friends, Char had a habit of performing surprise attacks on Pierre to keep him on guard while also just smacking him whenever the human knight said something stupid or perverse until he matured. Though, it didn't stop the golem from showing it's irritation at times, whether it was with Pierre getting cocky, or like the night before when criminal scum smudged its armor.  
  
As Char ended up giving the knight punch to the gut and then throwing him out of the shop, it was clear that Pierre ended up getting cocky before landing face first into a patch of soft grass.  
  
"I am so glad I was wearing armor," Pierre said to himself while he spat out some blades of grass from his mouth, before noticing he had landed right next to the town's namesake- a shining sword with a black pommel in the shape of a unicorn's head that was currently stuck in a large stone. Like everyone else in town, Pierre also knew the story well- how around two hundred and fifty years ago, a rogue unicorn had stalked the woods around the town back when it was still called "Wayne's Hollow," causing the local lord to ask any and all adventurers for help with his daughter's hand in marriage promised as the reward. However, the unicorn- despite the creature's reputation of being peaceful towards virgins, was a rather vicious beast that used its horn to gore any and all who tried- that is until it encountered a farm boy who was able to survive thanks to one of Calina Zavriel's children rescuing them. That fae would then tell the farmboy how to defeat the unicorn- in exchange for helping around the great tree the Zavriels called home for three days, the fae would forge for them a blade made of the mystical and very rare material Amecite, and if they used it against the beast once it encountered them on the way home, it would simply throw itself onto the blade and die.  
  
The Farmboy of course, had agreed to the deal, and after doing everything asked of him without question, the sword was made and just as the smith had said, the unicorn had ended up killing itself upon the blade the moment it was drawn from its scabbard. The new hero carried the unicorn's body back with him as proof to the lord, however, the man tried to get out of his promise by forwarding other challenges to the Farmboy- mainly because he had hoped a prince would save the day instead. The Farmboy, with help from the Zavriels he helped during those three days, had managed to succeed each time, but when it was clear the lord was not going to honor his bargain- even when his daughter had actually fallen in love with the hero, it was the manticore-blooded member of the Zavriel family, Marik who orchestrated a false kidnapping of the princess, and also cursed the lord with the form of a worm as punishment for failing to honor the promise he made.  
  
Since that day, the citizens of Unicorn's Blade came to respect the Zavriels, and when members of the family came to visit, they'd be treated not as monsters, but as good friends. Even the Farmboy who married the love of his life thanks to them still used the blade to protect the town, until a mysterious black knight arrived on the back of a dragon, and challenged the unicorn slayer to a duel. The black knight would win, however, as his opponent was disarmed and the sword sent flying into a stone- where it would stay until a hero with a righteous heart came to pull it out, and claim it for their own.  
  
Looking at the shining crystalline blade even now, Pierre remembered how he himself had tried many times to claim the beautiful sword, but as he failed each time, he had started to try and become a knight to prove he had the heart to wield it. Even though he was now a knight of Clawthorn, he had tried and failed each time he attempted to pull the sword out whenever he felt he was ready. Of course, as he found himself reaching for the handle even now, he stopped this time and decided not to try today as he moved on to start his patrol.  
  
_"I wonder what defines a righteous heart? If it's not the determination to meet your goals, then what could it be?"_ he wondered to himself, unaware that as he had chosen not to try and pull the blade out this time, the moment he had turned around the sapphire eyes of the pommel started to give off a gentle glow.

 

~0~

_"Yare Yare Daze..."_  
  
That was what Jotaro thought ever since the carriage they were in ended up crashing into a tree thanks to someone hitting the driver with a tranquilizer dart of some kind, causing not just the members of his group to have to bury the driver after he died on impact, but also salvage what they could of their supplies and continue their way to Thornsborough on foot. While he did summon Star Platinum to carry the trunk filled with the wine bottles, spare clothes for Irene- who was currently wearing her traveling clothes consisting of a red cloak draped around her shoulders and kept in place by her Apatite brooch, along with a long sleeved, dark red tunic, a brown leather belt where her gem-pouch and sword was located, brown pants, leather, flat-heeled boots that went halfway up her legs, and finally to bring it together she had on her head a wide-brimmed red hat with a long white feather stuck in it. She also had on her usual sun stone choker around her neck- most likely because it was her most powerful weapon, she had best keep it on her at all times.  
  
As for the rest of their things, while Jotaro, Joseph, Pietro, and Alphonse each carried their own bag, Irene had decided to lighten her load by packing her own supplies in an enchanted bag she bought back in Spherean that made it so it could hold a lot of things and remain light-weight. Unfortunately, her trunk couldn't fit inside it so she couldn't really carry it herself.  
  
"I wish the unicorns didn't run off." Joseph said with a sigh as he walked with the group through the woods, moving next to Jotaro with hands behind the brunette's head, "Because seriously, it would have probably made travel easier if we doubled up to ride or something."  
  
"Unicorns are rather picky about who they allow to ride them." Pietro then said, "They do prefer virgins, and since Jotaro's your grandson... well, that means they wouldn't let you get on their backs at all, Joseph."  
  
"And if I tried?" Joseph then asked as he looked down at the shorter stag with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"You'd most likely be impaled on their horn if you're not wearing steel armor that is." Pietro said, "Their horns can go through a five hundred page book with ease after all."  
  
As Jotaro patted the manga he had hidden in his shirt while remembering how the comic book had saved his life from Dio's knives, he mentally noted to make sure not to see first hand if a unicorn's horn could be stopped by that and real armor together.  
  
It was then, however, that Pietro stopped walking, sniffing the air and giving a few nervous whinnying-snorts as his ears and tail twitched about nervously. As the rest of the humans in the group looked at the deer-man curiously, Alphonse instead just sniffed the air as well before he growled a bit, hinting that there was trouble coming.  
  
"Pietro, what's wrong?" Joseph then asked while Jotaro started to get a bit more on edge as Star Platinum put the trunk it was carrying down on the ground and prepared for a fight. Of course, before the stag could answer, an arrow then shot out towards the stag- caught just in time by the purple humanoid before it could go through Pietro's skull. As the group then started defensively surrounding Pietro, Jotaro and Star Platinum putting up their fists, Joseph bringing out the clackers he had on his belt along with a small bottle of oil and Irene drawing a deep blue crystalline saber made of Kyanite, the hilt having a wing-like handguard as she held the blade defensively in front of her in one hand, while the other just had a simple agate ring glowing gently.  
  
Then, their attackers came into the clearing from the treeline in all directions- a group of tall, thin-framed humanoids with pointed ears, delicate looking features and green and brown leather armor on their bodies- most likely used for camouflage, as well as having bows pointed at the group and ready to fire on command. Of course, their leader seemed to stand out a bit as he was seemed to have a slightly broader build than the rest of the hunters, black hair that went down a little past the shoulders and was tied back into a low ponytail, a square jaw, blue eyes and his outfit consisting of a red and yellow shirt with leather gloves, black pants and leather boots.  
  
"Oh no, not elves..." Pietro said as quietly as possible- as if he was trying not to get their further attention. Unfortunately, as the leader seemed to hear the stag anyway as he shifted slightly to look at the guarded deer, he raised an arched eyebrow before humming a bit out of intrigue.  
  
"Stand down for now men." the raven-haired elf then said as he raised a hand while his hunting party lowered their bows- for now anyway, "It seems we might be able to... clear up this misunderstanding."  
  
"Just who the hell are you?" Jotaro then said, earning several glares from the hunting party, while the leader simply gave a hearty laugh.  
  
"Why I am the best hunter in Bellewood, Gaston Zamiel, a pleasure to meet you." the raven-haired elf then said with a polite smile as he took a bow, "Now, I don't know why you're so... on edge, it seemed one of my men got a little eager... _right, Maurice?"_  
  
"Uh... y-yes sir!" Maurice- the nerdiest looking elf of the hunting party, then said as he pushed his glasses up his nose.  
  
"Eager or not, one of your goons still tried to shoot a friend of ours, and could have killed him too!" Joseph then said, glaring at Gaston with more than just a bit of contempt as Jotaro noticed. "And you're not even trying to apologize for it!"  
  
"Joseph, Gaston won't apologize to someone like me." Pietro then said, before adding with some annoyance in his own voice, "Especially due to the fact that ever since we first met, he's been trying to hunt me down for the sake of his reputation."  
  
"So... you really are that damn stag." Gaston then said as he dropped any and all emotion in his voice for a moment, before giving off what was best described as an evil smirk, "I don't know how you did it, but _an animal_ like you living for over two hundred years, having not aged a day? It's bad enough _your kind_ steal the term 'elf' thanks to your ears, but now you of all _beasts_ manage to emulate my people's long life and slow aging? Now _that_ is the worst insult of all."  
  
Gaston then looked more towards the humans of the bunch, noting Joseph's darkened glare towards the raven-haired elf and paying no heed to the silent warning it held about choosing his next words carefully as he continued to speak.  
  
"Now, if you... humans... do not wish to end up as unneeded casualties, I advise you hand over the animal you're protecting, and be on your way."  
  
"Yeah... don't think so." Joseph said, before smirking a bit, "In fact... your next line is going to be _why are you protecting that damn beast? "_  
  
"Why are you protecting that damn beast?!" Gaston said, flinching for a moment before glaring right back at Joseph. "Oh, a smart ass, are you? Well then, boys? How about we show this one what we do to smart asses who piss us off? Take down the other three in their group quickly, kill if you must. The brunette in the stupid hat and the stag are to be taken alive."  
  
"Sir!" the elves then said, already prepared to fire, only for Jotaro to look towards his stand for a moment and smirk.  
  
"Star Platinum: The World," he said, and to everyone else involved, it seemed that suddenly all the elves' arrows were removed right from their hands and their bows snapped in half before they could even blink.  
  
"What the?" Maurice said, confused as Irene then started charging at him with her sword, while Jotaro and his stand started to punch a few elves. As for the rest, they had to deal with Alphonse as he growled and spat fireballs at them while protecting the frightened Pietro Aifread. As Maurice barely managed to avoid getting his arm skewered by the gem-witch's sword, he shivered as he saw ice begin to form on the small cut in his armor and did what any inexperienced and intelligent warrior would do in the situation.  
  
Flee and scream like a little girl into the treeline.  
  
As for the rest of the elves, they weren't so eager to leave their boss alone, some drawing knives and ready to attack Joseph while he remained by the trunk and Pietro, only to be hit with his clackers as he launched them in a volley before rolling to the trunk, opening it up and pulling out a couple of wine bottles.  
  
"What are you going to do with those?" one of the elves said, "Pour us a drink after we catch you?"  
  
"Nope!" Joseph said with a grin as he sent the power of Hamon into them and fired the corks at his attackers as if they were cannons- though for some reason the wine that splashed about seemed to cut through their armor a bit as well.  
  
Joseph would have to remember that one for the future.  
  
As for the rest of the fight, as elves battled and stabbed Jotaro and Star Platinum- and noting that they seemed to share a bond as whenever one was hurt, the other would feel pain as well, they would end up suddenly having the two appear elsewhere nearby when it seemed like a death blow was about to be dealt.  
  
Of course, one elf- most likely Gaston's second in command due to the fancier armor he had on compared to the rest, ended up in a sword fight with Irene, the blond using her magically charged saber to parry and duel with her opponent rather well as she showed she had some martial training as well as magic.  
  
"You fight like a dairy farmer!" the elf then said, trying to get Irene to give him an opening as they were currently at a standstill amid all the thrusts, parries, swings and even snowflakes that flew about from Irene's magical blade.  
  
"How appropriate! You fight like a cow!" Irene shot back as she managed to cross blades with the elven swordsman when he swung again, a smirk on the princess's lips as she then taunted her opponent further.  
  
"Oh please, is that the best you got, girlie?! My mother can handle a sword better than you!"  
  
"Then why isn't she here dueling me instead?"  
  
"I'm the second best swordsman in Bellewood, dammit!"  
  
"What's the matter? The best get sick today?"  
  
"If you weren't a human, I may consider you a worthy bride."  
  
"Sorry, I'm engaged."  
  
"Shame, I bet the man you're promised to must be rather poor if you need to take the sword up yourself!" the elf said, only to have Irene play dirty as she kicked the man below the belt one they locked blades and were very close together. Of course, to add insult to injury, she then cut the elf's armor slightly with her blade- causing a chunk of ice to form on his crotch before he begged for mercy and surrendered.  
  
As the battle continued, however, Gaston didn't even get involved as he decided to get away from the action and watch while leaning against a tree. Of course, as he saw that the battle was a bit one-sided, he then whistled and decided that it was time to change tactics. In fact, as the still conscious members of his band heard the signal, they immediately stepped back and held out their hands as a ball of light formed at the palm- with each elf and even Gaston and the now returned Maurice targeting all but Pietro.  
  
"Alright men, let's see how they handle some magic!" Gaston said, with each elf letting loose the magical blast.  
  
"I don't think so!" Pietro then said and in a flash ran around the clearing and intercepted each blast thanks to his mystical speed, sending the blasts right back at each of the elves and striking them with what turned out to be a spell to freeze them in place. As Gaston and his hunting party was now either frozen with their eyes wide in shock or on the ground out-cold, Joseph smirked as Jotaro, his stand and Irene returned to the middle of the clearing where Alphonse and Pietro waited.  
  
"Hah! Didn't see that one coming, did you, ya pointy-eared bastards?" Joseph then said as he taunted the elves with a laugh, while Pietro nervously walked towards Gaston and spoke up.  
  
"Do...do you think they'll be alright?" Pietro then asked, before poking the lead elf with his finger- only for Gaston to unfreeze and along with everyone else, look on in confusion for a moment.  
  
"Why you... NO ONE MAKES A FOOL OF GASTON!" the raven-haired elf then said in rage as he immediately pulled out a knife and tried to stab Pietro, who instead dodged and started running around the clearing- the pissed off elf giving chase while the rest of the stag's allies looked on and watched for a few laps.  
  
_"He's not even trying to defend himself!"_ Jotaro thought as he watched Pietro flee, _"Why doesn't he fight? He can summon mirrors that are sharp enough to be used as razor blades, so why doesn't he use them to fight back instead of run!?"_  
  
Joseph, however, decided to just call in his own stand and used it to grab a tree, and as Pietro immediately ducked under it, the rage-blinded Gaston wasn't so lucky as he ended up running into the purple, thorny vines and falling back onto the ground. After that, Pietro stopped and watched as Star Platinum decided to finish off the encounter by just pummeling the downed elf with a flurry of punches.  
  
"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"  
  
Once the purple figure was done and Gaston was left a twitching mess, the stag then sighed as he just silently signaled to his companions that they should keep moving before the rest of the elves unfreeze. As Jotaro's stand picked the trunk back up and the group got moving again, once they were a good distance away, Pietro spoke up.  
  
"I had really, really hoped to not run into Gaston again once I was released." he then said with a sigh, "I ran into him the first time two hundred and two years ago, when I was eighteen and had just left my father's lands on my pilgrimage to study Botany abroad... I ran since I don't really like to fight- and I'd rather not fight at all if I can avoid it since I hate to injure people, and I swear that elf has been obsessed with finding and most likely trying to kill me ever since!"  
  
No one said a word as Pietro admitted that he wasn't a fighter, and since he did help by deflecting the elves' magic right back at them, they knew he wasn't totally useless in a fight. Jotaro however, did wonder in silence why Pietro didn't seem to like to fight for himself, considering how the stag could get nasty in other ways if he needed to- and admitted to doing so as well. Sure, the stag was a coward since he seemed to be the type to have someone else handle the actual fighting while he just protects them from magic, but he at least didn't try to deny it, unlike some people Jotaro had faced, even before he became a stand user.  
  
All in all, Jotaro Kujo wasn't exactly sure how to judge Pietro at the moment and it kind of bugged him- even if he didn't show it on his face for the moment.  
  
"Though, I wonder why the spell I reflected back at the elves didn't last long on Gaston?" Pietro then said, drawing the teen out of his own thoughts.  
  
"Well, since I know more about Magic than you do, Pietro- even if you have been around for two hundred years as a mirror," Irene then said as she crossed her arms, "Maybe Gaston had something on him that the others didn't. Most likely a piece of jewelry or a rune hidden in his clothes that made him resistant to the spell's effects or even nullified it."  
  
"If that's the case, then he may have faked being frozen and waited for the right moment to strike?" Pietro asked while Joseph and Jotaro both remembered that Gaston seemed as surprised as they were that the spell ended so soon.  
  
_"I wonder if Pietro himself ended the spell when he touched him?"_ Jotaro then wondered and had a feeling that Joseph suspected the same thing as his grandfather seemed a bit deep in thought as well. _"If that's true and he doesn't realize it, then he may need to be watched in the future- just to see if this was just a coincidence or not."_

 

 

~0~

"Well, so far so good," Pierre said to himself as he walked into the woods between Unicorn's Blade and the Zavriel Fae-Colony as part of his usual patrol route- after stopping by the bakery to grab some lunch of course as he was also stuffing his face for the moment. "Oh how I love these Unicorn Rolls!~"

Unicorn Rolls- a local specialty of the town of Unicorn's Blade.

To make it, the baker starts off with some dough and rolls it out before placing some cooked shredded beef that's been marinated in a special sauce that's slightly sweet in the center of each one.

Then, the dough is folded much like one would make a kaiser roll- with the points meeting in the center though in a slight curve to the lobes before it's brushed with an egg wash to give it a golden color and a crispy outer-texture.

Of course, the most important trick is to make sure it doesn't fall apart while baking- and other bakers who don't know the secret tend to end up with a mess on their hands and in their ovens!

As Pierre continued to eat his lunch- slowly and carefully so not to get any of the sauce on his shirt or armor as it could sometimes drip out of there was just a tiny bit too much sauce inside the bread, the knight of Clawthorn thought about how his route always took him to the very edge of the Zavriel Fae-colony, and more importantly about how thanks to the incident two and a half centuries ago, the town had a truce of sorts with the nearly forty children of Calina Zavriel- they don't cause trouble in town when they decide to visit, and the town will be sure not to cause trouble in their colony. Of course, while "Colony" was kind of stretching it as only the Zavriel family lived there instead of multitudes of different fae, considering the fact that Calina's children were all half-monster, it made sense why normal fae wouldn't want to live anywhere near them.

The fact that the eldest brother that still lived in the area, Marik was part manticore and had a rather territorial nature towards intruders- especially when it came to his siblings potentially being hurt or captured, also made the man intimidating didn't really help matters either, as Pierre made sure to avoid pissing that member of the family off specifically.

Of course, as the eldest Zavriel sibling that Pierre was aware of had moved out and decided to live on her own in another part of the forest, Marik's elder sister had gained a reputation of being known as the "Spider Witch." Mainly due to the fact that she would capture anyone she caught in her part of the woods, and either kill them or simply use them as models for her work before letting them go, and providing compensation to those models sometime later with a bag of gold and a set of rather nice clothes to wear for special events. As a result of the latter, some girls would occasionally go out into the woods in hopes of being 'caught' and given a gown that they could wear on their wedding day, though lately, no one had been able to find the witch so she was either hiding very well or just not willing to help anyone with selfish desires for now.

The possibility of the Spider Witch having been killed though, was a very unlikely one since as far as Pierre knew, no one in their right mind would risk trying to harm or kill a Zavriel- especially if their constantly traveling mother or any of the fathers of her children were visiting and could aid Marik in his hunt to take down anyone who tried.

However, in the past two years Pierre had been home as a full-fledged knight, he did note that his patrols had been rather quiet, outside of events like last night where a drunk or two were causing trouble- especially if his sister was their target.

After all, as far as Pierre was concerned, as long as he was alive _no one_ would harm his sister and get away with it.

 _"Though, despite those two drunks from last night... it has been rather dull..."_ Pierre then thought to himself as he finished his lunch and spotted a few trees next to a spring as he soon felt a need to take a leak.

A couple of minutes later, Pierre would finish relieving himself behind a tree and was just about to resume his patrol when he heard a voice sing a tune he hadn't heard in a very long time.

 _"Go forth brave hero and take your sword in hand to protect those that you love, while I wait here for you to return home to my arms. I'll always be true to you, and take no other in my heart..."_ the voice sang, and as Pierre watched from around the tree's trunk, he saw the singer was a fae with long, white hair and a pale yellow dress that went down to her knees while a white sash was tied around her waist. While he noticed she had golden amber eyes with flecks of red in them and a rather simple looking gold and sapphire tiara on her head, he also noted that her wings were rather intimidating as they looked like something similar to a swallow-tail butterfly's, yet somehow more jagged along the bottom edges and the pattern he saw while they were spread out looked much like the face of a demon.

Of course, as his eyes went from the wings to her long, slender legs as he saw she didn't seem to be wearing shoes at the moment, as his gaze went back up her body, he noticed that her right arm was very much different than her more human looking left one- mainly with the fact that it seemed a bit bulkier than the other limb, was a red so dark it seemed black and demonic- especially with the fact her hand was clawed and she had a golden chain wrapped around the limb while she carried a spare set of clothes.

 _"Oh no. She's getting ready to bathe!"_ Pierre ended up thinking as he quickly moved out of sight when she was about to look up, the knight's face red as he realized that not only did he end up in a difficult situation, but if he didn't get out of there before she stepped into the water, he'd end up being hit with a compulsion to try and catch her and make her his wife if he managed to grab her successfully, and just held on for a few seconds, and would be stuck under that compulsion until he either succeeded, or she escaped.

What's worse, he knew full well who this fae was, and more importantly, who her father was.

Her name was Renee Zavriel, the thirteenth daughter of Calina Zavriel, and the nineteenth child she had overall based on what he had overheard from the locals while growing up in the town. As for her father, he just so happened to be the Barghest Lord of all Hellhounds, Van Halen. Which meant if Pierre fell under the spell that normally hit a man when he saw a faerie woman bathe, not only would he risk Renee's brother Marik going after him, but also risk Renee's father targeting him as well.

So, even if she was kind of cute in his eyes- despite the demonic arm she had thanks to her heritage, he didn't want to risk angering her family if he took her as a wife thanks to some stupid curse or enchantment that seemed to activate due to unintentional perversion- most of the time!

Unfortunately, fate would have other ideas as just as he prepared to leave, he'd peek back around the other side of the tree he hid behind, and saw on the other side of the spring and unseen by Renee as she had her back turned, an unfamiliar mage with dark skin, a blue and silver robe, and white hair that was tied into a series of braids would simply appear from the air itself- a dark, wild and lustful look in his eyes as he watched Renee, while also preparing a spell as he summoned an iron ball to his hand and use magic to levitate it for a few moments.

It only took one second for Pierre to figure out what this was- an attempt to either assassinate or brutally capture a fae.

Before the silver-haired knight could even think about what he needed to do, he just ran into the clearing as the Mage began to launch the iron ball towards Renee's back, and by pure luck, the knight managed to reach her first.

"Look out!" he shouted as he leapt and tackled Renee to the ground, holding her thankfully still half-clothed body close as the ball whizzed over their heads and crashed into a tree. As he then shifted a bit to shield her from more potential damage from her assailant as he looked across the spring towards the mage, he saw in the man's wild looking pale eyes a look of rage aimed directly at Pierre himself.

"Damn your luck!" the mage said- though his voice was a bit high pitched for how fierce he looked, "I don't care if some stupid knight gets in my way, I'll get you back Renee! I swear it!"

However, before the mage could attack again, the moment Pierre started to get up with the intent of kicking the magician's ass very clear on his face, the mystery mage immediately teleported away out of fear. So with the attacker gone for the moment, Pierre then looked down at Renee with a concerned expression, lifting his body off of hers as she still laid down on the ground- before covering her chest up while she looked into his eyes with her own.

"Are you alright?" Pierre asked, before realizing he was still looming over her as she nodded and blushed quite a bit as he immediately moved off of her and offered a hand to help her up.

Unfortunately, the sound of someone clearing his throat behind the knight caused a chill to go down his spine and as he turned, saw the face of a very pissed off looking red-headed, and handsome man with leathery wings like a bat or dragon, red hair that resembled a lion's mane as well as hands that looked like a lion's claws, an open vest on his bare chest, a silver chain around his neck, black leather pants, and most importantly, a scorpion's tail ready to strike.

"What the hell... are you doing with my little sister?" Marik Zavriel then asked, the golden-eyed fae looking ready to murder the knight then and there.

~0~

To the south of Unicorn's Blade, Team Zeppeli along with their new companion Arachne were happily riding along in the cart, having not had a bit of trouble at all that day. Of course, that peace would soon be interrupted by the sound of a scream coming from the northeast, and a good distance away as well as Veronica sat up in worry.

"What was that?" she asked, before noticing Wamu simply cringe and Ricky Lupo silently remove his hat and hold it over his chest while letting out a whimper instead of actually answering her.

Arachne however, seemed to recognize the noise for what it was, and while she didn't say anything, she also had a good feeling what had happened as well as only one thought crossed the seamstress' mind.

 _"Not again..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's Alternates that appear/are mentioned for the first time include...  
> 1\. Pierre Polheffer= Jean Pierre Polnareff, though he has clockwork legs to reference Polnareff's fate in part five... before the turtle thing.  
> 2\. Iggy the Clockwork Dog= Iggy from Stardust Crusaders.  
> 3\. Little Coco the clockwork turtle= Coco Jumbo, however, Little Coco is used as a toolbox/first aid kit more than anything else.  
> 4\. Sherry Polheffer= Sherry Polnareff, who lives instead of well, dying.  
> 5\. Silchariot/Char= Silver Chariot  
> 6\. Hans Polheffer= Stroheim. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Firearms in Fanterra suck horribly, he does not have a gun or cannon hidden in his gut.
> 
> Now, I'll admit Gaston the elf is a Beauty and the Beast reference. Also, the sword fight Irene has with one of the elves is a shout out to the Monkey Island Series.
> 
> Not to mention Char's attempt to attack Pierre is a shout out to the older Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers, where Clouseau had an assistant who had the job of ambushing him at any time.
> 
> Also, this chapter introduces another member of the Zavriel family, Renee who is the daughter of the guy in charge of all hellhounds... the reason why the Barghest Lord is named Van Halen? 1) Music Reference due to this being a Jojofic, and 2) While thinking of a name, I noticed that there weren't any characters already named after the band directly, so I figured why not?
> 
> Oh, and for those of you who remember Marik from the Prologue, he is now all grown up with his reintroduction here.
> 
> Finally, the bit at the end with Team Zeppeli? Well, I had to do something with them so yeah...
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Pierre's fate is revealed, Pietro goes into another lecture, and... there's going to be some discussion of some potentially heavy stuff.


	9. My Crush was a Monster Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Pierre deals with the consequences of his rescuing Renee Zavriel, Jotaro and Joseph learn a bit more about the world of Fanterra during lunch.

  
Pierre Polheffer was at a loss. Taken by the Zavriels to the giant tree they called home, put inside a practically empty bedroom, and tied up to a chair with his hands behind his back as well as his armor and swords removed and taken elsewhere. Of course, as he had a red handprint on the left side of his face, and some pain in his groin, he did admit that it could have been much, much worse- especially as he mentally went over the past half-hour that led up to his current situation.

**********

 _"What the hell... are you doing with my little sister?"_

That was what Marik had said to him, the murderous look in the red-headed manticore-fae's golden eyes catching Pierre off guard enough as he stopped looking at Renee and did his best to explain what happened.

"Wait, this isn't what you think! Miss Renee was about to be atta--ACK!"

That was when Renee had gotten him in the groin with her foot, the knight regretting not wearing any protection for his manhood other than his soft leather pants. As he doubled over in pain however, he then got a slap from the fae's much more human hand- while using the other arm to cover her chest before flying behind her brother and readjusting her dress.

"You may have saved my life," she said to Pierre- and also causing Marik to look at her in surprise, "But that doesn't mean you get to have a free show, pervert!"

"That... wasn't my intention, Miss Renee..." Pierre then said as he clenched his teeth while also trying to be as respectful as possible towards the two fae- otherwise they'd probably punish him further, "I swear on my honor as a knight... I would have left you to bathe in privacy if that mage didn't appear and bring out that iron ball!" As Pierre felt the pain in his groin ease a bit and stood up straight, he then felt his left arm tingle a bit, before looking down to see a light surround his wrist before it formed into a golden bracelet with a red gem that was carved to look like the head of a rather ferocious dog. Of course, as he tried to take it off, and finding that it was not only stuck in place- but also didn't seem to have a clasp or lock to try and undo to remove the new accessory, the knight's look of dread that had appeared when he realized what it meant grew- especially as he looked up to see Marik's own face go from shock to worry as he looked to his sister- only to have a similar bracelet on her left wrist. However, the only difference was that while Pierre's had a red stone, Renee's had a blue one.

"Are... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Marik shouted as all three of them realized what just happened, only for the manticore-fae to glare at the knight and grab him by the neck while also lifting the man off the ground.

"Marik, don't kill him!" Renee said, only for Marik to frown as he kept his eyes on Pierre.

"Don't worry Renee, I'm not going to kill him, however I would like to talk to him. At home." he then said, before throwing Pierre upward before flying after the knight and catching him with his tail, the stinger close to the knight's face as his body was wrapped up tightly- and also threatening death if Pierre even tried to break free. As Pierre froze in fear, he then glanced towards Marik Zavriel and heard what the monstrous fae said to him.

_"Listen up, Knight. I don't care what you claim might have happened, but if I learn you did this on purpose? You're going to wish I killed you..."_  


**********

As Pierre's thoughts returned to the present, he glanced around the room- noting that it seemed to have formed naturally within the tree itself, rather than having been carved or built inside it. Mainly due to the fact that the room didn't have a single corner like his own room back in Unicorn's Blade, or showed any sign of being carved out of the wood itself, and was also decorated with a rather nice looking dresser with a mirror attached to it and a bed. As for the chair he was in, that was made of oak and while it was rather well made, he also noted that the cushion placed in it before he was tied to it was rather comfortable. According to Marik, the chair was made by one of his and Renee's half siblings- the sixth child and third daughter Lily, who was fathered by a gargoyle. As for the cushion, that was made by Calina's second child, and first born-daughter.

The Spider Witch herself.

As for the bed- made by one of the other siblings, though he wasn't sure which one, it looked rather nice as well, and Pierre personally wished he could just lay down on that instead of be tied to a chair. He may be a prisoner, but he wasn't really planning on fighting his way through 36 fae just to try and get home. Especially when the youngest of the bunch, a 4 year old Minotaur-blooded boy named Timothy seemed rather eager to get to know a "guest."

Pierre just wouldn't harm a child that innocent- even if it was carrying the blood of a monster in him.

_"I wonder how often the Zavriels even get visitors..."_ Pierre thought, knowing that as far as he was aware, he'd only see members of the family in town every now and then, but he had never even seen anyone try and head to the giant tree they called home. Considering how lonely it may have been, even with such a large family living together- minus their constantly traveling mother of course, Pierre understood that they probably had hobbies to try and keep their minds off the isolation brought on by the fact that they were half monster.

It was then however, that his mind returned to the bracelet he obtained. Frowning as he knew what it was, he was also filled with fear that with the implications of what had happened and what it had led to would end up putting his family in danger if he ended up doing something stupid.

Unfortunately, before he could think further on the subject, the knight suddenly felt like he was being watched, and looking up and around, spotted what looked like a stone faced man that seemed a little younger than the knight, the stranger's eyes looking like he recognized Pierre.

_"Polnareff?"_

"Who?" Pierre said just as the image in the mirror suddenly vanished, and as he turned his head towards the door, saw Marik Zavriel infront of him, hand stretched towards the mirror as he finished using magic to block out any potential eavesdroppers, and a dark look on his face as he carried an extra chair with his other arm.  


~0~

While Pierre was dealing with a rescue that led to his capture by Renee's brother, Jotaro, Joseph and their companions had decided to stop for lunch. In fact, Pietro himself had decided to use the table his former mentor had sent him, and after getting it out of Alphonse's bag, had set it on the ground while using his foot to keep it stable on the slightly uneven ground. As for Star Platinum, it merely set the trunk it was carrying on the ground and vanished- the stand needing a break since it didn't have to eat like its master.

"Table, set thyself!" the stag said with gusto while Joseph and Irene watched eagerly, only for nothing to happen, "Oh... um... I know I said the right words..."

"Aw... don't tell me the magic on it wore off..." Irene said with a sigh as her stomach growled.

"Maybe Peri broke it while she was supposed to be bringing it to you?" Joseph said, while Jotaro simply looked at the scene in silence and also scratched Alphonse's head, before he spoke up.

"Pietro, maybe you should try it again, without touching it?" the teen asked, and while Pietro didn't say anything as he looked down and saw his foot still against it, he then moved it back and spoke again.

"Table, set thyself?" the stag then asked, while the rest of the group watched. This time of course, the table did what it was supposed to- starting by sprouting a tablecloth from the center and spread itself across the table, while dishes magically appeared before being covered in hamburger steaks covered in gravy, roasted carrots, mushrooms, and even mashed potatoes appearing as sides, bottles of apple, orange, and grape juices popped up and finally, silverware for the group to eat with once it everything was ready.

"Oh that's a relief..." Pietro said with a smile as he sat down, only to cautiously poke at the silverware in case touching them would cause them to vanish. When they didn't, Pietro happily dug in to his meal along with everyone else- and Alphonse himself also got a plate covered in meat that was taken off the table and placed on the grass.

"So, why didn't it work the first time?" Joseph then asked as he happily enjoyed the meal as well, "Oh man, this is great!"

"Apparently, besides reflecting magic back at an enemy, Pietro can temporarily turn off magical objects as long as he's touching them." Jotaro said before pouring himself a glass of apple juice. "Can't believe there's no beer..."

"Well, I can't exactly hold my liquor... since even a glass of water with only a drop of wine in it can make me pass out. As his letter noted, Salvador knew this and like with replacing the meals that require deer meat with beef, he made sure nothing alcoholic was available for my sake." Pietro said, while his mind then went to what this new discovery about what he could reflect might mean. "In any case, since I can't touch magical objects without making them useless- well, unless it's a magical weapon and I'd rather not find out if I'm immune to damage from those or not in the near future, I wonder what else I might be able to do with this new power of mine?"

As no one said anything as they all wondered for themselves, a worried look then came across Pietro's face as he remembered the fight with Gaston earlier that day- and so soon did the rest of the group.

"Did... I end the enchantment Gaston was under myself?" he asked himself more than the others, "Yes, that has to be what happened. He didn't move until I poked him, and he seemed just as surprised as we were when he could move again. If that's the case..."

Pietro then looked hopeful as he smiled, "Perhaps I can undo the curse on Deerbank after all!"

"As possible as it is," Jotaro said then, "We still don't have enough evidence to be sure that's really the case."

"You... have a point." Pietro said with a nod, but despite that, he still looked hopeful about what it could mean if he really was a curse-breaker thanks to that mirror he was trapped within. Of course, as he pulled out the golden locket he took with him out of the tower he spent so long in, he gave a soft smile as he realized that if he really could do it, he may be able to see not just his family alive and well in this day and age, but also attend his sister's wedding as was proper to do so.

_"All because Hildegarde's curses on myself and my home had turned into unintentional blessings on her part... even if my 'blessing' is as mixed as the one Salvadore gave me at mother's request..."_ Pietro thought to himself, only for Irene to snap him from his thoughts as the gem witch squealed in delight.

"Wh-Where did you get a Familiara!?" Irene asked as her inner nerd came out in the open, causing Pietro to look at her in confusion while Joseph and Jotaro just looked at each other in confusion.

"What's a Familiara?" both Joestars said causing Irene to sigh.

"Right, I forgot you two aren't even from Fanterra for a moment." Irene said, before looking to Pietro, "Do you think you can offer some visual aids for the explanation?"

"I'm afraid not." Pietro said, "I've never heard of Familiara either, my education in Deerbank didn't really focus on magic thanks to the town's history not really viewing it in a kind light."

"Oh right. Because of those... things..." Irene said as she cleared her throat and started explaining before either Joestar could ask what she meant.

"Familiara are very, very rare magical objects that contains a spirit familiar that can be summoned into the physical world by the Familiara's owner. Each Familiara also has a symbol of some kind to indicate what sort of spirit is within it- whether it's blatant like the one on Pietro's locket, or a bit more subtle. These familiars can act as guides or even assist depending on what kind they are, a Steed type- like the horse that's most likely in Pietro's locket can be ridden, an Illusion Type can be used for trickery and theft, and finally a Guardian Type can well, be used to protect the owner in battle or during travel. There may be more types, but unfortunately all knowledge about them is limited, so I can't say for sure."

"Um..." Pietro then said, "this locket isn't mine... it belonged to someone I loved named Maleen. I also never knew there was a spirit inside it, since the cover's stuck and it won't open. Then again, since I can apparently 'turn off' magical objects- in a sense, it probably won't work for me anyway."

"Well, a familiara only works if you can say the spirit's name, so if Maleen had it and knew this fact, then she was either from Spherean Nobility, or alternatively, from a bloodline that had it before the Blue Fairy Empire." Irene said as she crossed her arms and bit her lip in thought, "Especially since during that time, familiara became very rare due to the Empire's mission to destroy as many of them as possible for some reason."

"As possible as it may be, all that Maleen told me was that she was just a serving girl from a poor family in Appledale, her mother was dead, and she took the job working for Hildegarde as a maid in order to support her elderly father." Pietro said, though his face showed a bit of regret as he continued "She had no siblings or any cousins as far as she was aware, and so, her bloodline may have ended with her death. If that is what happened, then it seems this locket won't be going back to her family where it belongs... especially since the locket came from her mother's side."

There was a moment of silence at the table, and as Pietro gripped the locket around his neck, it was clear to the Joestars and Irene that they probably shouldn't open up some old wounds again, especially since it was only a few days since the stag had learned what happened to the girl he fell in love with.

"So..." Joseph said after a few minutes, "What's this Blue Faerie Empire? Something we should keep a look out for or something?"

As Irene and Pietro exchanged looks that seemed to to indicate that Joseph's question was a stupid one, as the stag's expression became rather understanding as the fact that Joseph and his grandson weren't from Fanterra re-entered his mind. In fact, as Pietro summoned another mirror, the two Earthlings knew they were in for another lecture. Of course, as the words "The Blue Faerie Empire" appeared in a script used for some very ancient and painstakingly artistic Caligraphy, it seemed like Pietro would show them what he had seen like he had with Koriander.

And then they saw appear underneath the title- in a much simpler looking style of text the words 'Based on what I was told, any images that appear within this mental reconstruction is to be taken with a grain of salt. Apologies- Pietro.'

"What's with the disclaimer?" Jotaro asked, while Pietro sighed.

"All my information is from someone else, and since I haven't seen the empire myself, I have to use my imagination on what most of the important players of this bit of history looked like." the stag said, before beginning the lecture- just as the image in the mirror showed a blue, feminine figure with some rather gorgeous wings that seemed to be made from the night sky itself, sitting on a throne, while being applauded by sincerely happy looking fae such as nymphs, satyrs, goblins, knockers and others.

"The Blue Faerie Empire was started around 3,500 years ago, after the Lost Age of Fanterra. The Blue Faerie, Tara, had united all fae together into one kingdom- however, while it seemed fine and happy at first, within only a couple of millenium did Tara's madness become clear."

The mirror then showed a few of the fae around the now madly grinning Blue Faerie forcing smiles, before it began to show more images for each example the stag then began to list off.

"Tara, it turned out was a rather controlling woman with a very... sterile view of the world- only her chosen 'Fairy Godmothers' were allowed to use magic and interact with humans, and when it came to the lives of those humans, things had to follow a certain path: Princes had to save princesses from peril, no common woman could go out on a journey to find her true love and must instead deal with her lot in life unless a prince came for her instead, common men were not even allowed to go off and try and take a marriage challenge for a king's daughter and 'True Love' was only acceptable in the romantic sense. Because of this, family members and even best friends couldn't even save each other from a curse and had to rely on someone else. Not to mention fae couldn't have relationships with anything that wasn't another fae.

"As for the fae that weren't allowed to interact with humans- those that tried to anyway, or resorted to using changelings to make it seem like they weren't interfering with human life, were marked as criminals and hunted down to be executed- and then came the day that resulted in the Blue Faerie killing her most trusted advisor."

The mirror then showed the Blue Faerie killing a purple armored figure, while a goblin in purple watched in horror as the image focused on them next. As the group watched the ugly little goblin go towards the corpse after everyone else had left, a look of rage entered its eyes as the figure shifted into a more human-looking shape after an odd aura surrounded its body. As the goblin- now a man with long white hair and dressed in purple looked at his new figure in surprise, a sly grin then appeared on his face as Petro continued the story.

"When all was said and done, the only fae to remain there- Puck, suddenly changed form after refusing leave the advisor's side in the event they were still alive and needed help. This act of loyalty to someone who knew full well that the Blue Faerie was a tyrant, caused an ascension- a way for Fae to grow more powerful without relying on the power that was 'provided' by the Blue Faerie to a select few, and instead using the true magic within all fae- something that the Blue Faerie tried to seal away from all but herself and her godmothers. With the realization that the Blue Faerie was in fact a liar when it came to how magic worked for the fae- especially how it was impossible for a fae to gain more power outside of their rank unless it was given to them, or they stole it from another, Puck decided to expose the truth by seeking out other Ascended Fae before the Blue Faerie could, and execute them in order to keep their existence a secret."

The mirror now showed Puck going around and recruiting various fae.

First, it showed Puck standing outside a cavern with various signs written in an odd language to both Joseph and Jotaro- though Pietro seemed to understand it well enough since there were subtitles under the signs that said "Blue Hag's Soldiers Keep Out!" as well as "Danger," "Private Property! Tresspassers will be beaten and/or thrown out into the sea depending on owner's mood," "Beware of Wyvern" and finally, "Fuck off!" As Puck ignored the signs and even fed the Wyvern a couple of sheep to avoid being chased out before the former goblin found the cavern's tenant- a giant shadowy figure in a kilt and having his hair literally made of fire that was currently surrounded by the pummeled bodies of the Blue Faerie's soldiers. After talking to him while helping to load the bodies on a cart to convince the giant to help him, the two shook hands and started traveling together.

Next, Puck and the newly labeled "Aedan Peadar" were in a garden found on the grounds of an abandoned castle, where a surprisingly more detailed fae with clear wings on his back, long pink hair, pale skin, green eyes, a crown of white roses on his head and red clothes that seemed to be as satiny as rose petals was sitting by a table and sipping tea. As Joseph found himself blushing a bit at the sight, he also quickly shot a look to Jotaro who seemed unphased as he watched Puck and Aedan join the faerie for tea and chatted with him peacefully while an abnormally large rose seemed ready to bloom behind him. Of course, as soldiers soon attacked the tea-party, Aedan and Puck were ready to fight- only for the calm and kindly looking fae to set his tea down, stand up and after the label "Salvador Spectralis Ghostwing" appeared on the mirror, it was shown that the fae simply shot out a barrage of green emeralds from his hand at one of the soldiers.

Jotaro's eyes widened at the move, as did Joseph as they looked at each other as they recognized the move, and continued to watch as Salvador then summoned a sword to his other hand, while also combining the emeralds and vines summoned from the plant life around him to form traps and ensnare the soldiers as he seemed intent to protect that rosebush. Once the battle was done, and Salvador gave a bow as the soldiers were who didn't try and switch sides were absorbed into the ground to become fertilizer, the rose fae then joined Puck and Aedan on their quest.

Finally, the trio encountered a weeping female fae in a blue sari and white dress, while also having torn green wings, while three young children were trying to comfort her. However, the children seemed a bit monstrous as the oldest had horns and purple markings on his face- something that seemed oddly familiar to Joseph, the middle child seemed to have the lower half of a spider while the third seemed to have bat wings and a scorpion tail- and upon seeing the strangers show up, the youngest immediately got ready to fight. As Puck managed to convince the child he was not about to attack the fairy- the mother of all three, he then asked what she was crying about.

Turned out, the weeping fae was a former godmother, who lost her rank and power once it was discovered she had monstrous children, and if she would have been made to kill them if she hadn't run away with them. Of course, as the three fae convinced the mother, "Calina Zavriel," about the truth and how she didn't need the Blue Faerie to access her magic- the ex-godmother's own body changed as she ascended before them and her children- becoming taller, much more beautiful, and most importantly, her wings restored to their true form- those of a gigantic Lunar Moth. After the change, she then joined the men, and Pietro continued the lecture once again.

"With Aedan Peadar, Salvador Spectralis Ghostwing and Calina Zavriel at his side, as well as the soldiers who left the Blue Faerie's forces after seeing the power they had within them, Puck's Rebellion succeeded, and the Empire fell." the stag said, just as the mirror showed Puck dealing the final blow to the Blue Faerie in single combat- the faerie wielding a staff while Puck simply had a rapier in hand, "Thus, the age of the Empire had ended, and the current era started, and has been going for a total of 1,247 years. Now, without the will of one fae ruling what can and can't happen, the stories of all lives within Fanterra can be free from following a strict path, Fae can choose what they wish in life, and in fact, fae society is now split into several colonies that are ruled by an Ascended fae that are considered either an Oberon- if they're male, or a Titania, if they're female."

As the lecture ended and the mirror vanished, Joseph and Jotaro were silent as their minds went back to what they saw when Salvador was recruited, and how it reminded them of their late friend Kakyoin and his stand, Heirophant Green- though, they're fallen ally- who might actually be alive in this world as far as they were concerned, never really turned people into plant food.

They hoped.

"So... where did you get all that information?" Irene then asked Pietro, "I mean, there's not much information left on the Empire nowadays much less who all helped Puck in his rebellion, so how did you know all that?"

"Oh, well, my Mentor, Fairy Godfather and future brother-in-law happened to be Ghostwing himself. I mean, he was the most detailed in the images I showed, so I thought it was obvious that he was the one who told me." Pietro said casually at first, though he did seem uneasy as he added, "Though, he didn't like talking about the Empire that much- for understandable reasons, but he basically refused to talk about the early years of the Colony System he helped to create in the empire's place."

"Oh..." Irene said, as she also remembered the current status of that faerie, "It's a shame he's a statue then, with Jonathan's love of archaeology, he'd have really enjoyed learning about that bit of history from Oberon Ghostwing."

"Now that I think about it..." Jotaro then said as he looked rather serious towards Pietro, "Didn't Veronica mention an Ethereas Ghostwing in that dream she and I sort of shared?"

"Yeah... I thought I heard that name when I listened in on your conversation with her, Ricky and his bodyguard..." Irene then said as she remembered that as well.

"Do you think Salvador might have family, Pietro?" Jotaro then asked, while Joseph seemed a bit distracted at the moment.

"I don't know." Pietro said with a sigh, "Salvador never talked about another Ghostwing, and the one time I asked about his own family when I was younger, he ended up looking a little sad as he told me that floral fae like himself don't really have families the same way we do. Mainly because they tend to come from a plant, and two fae from the same source is unheard of. However, if we get a chance to go to Deerbank during our journey, and I'm able to free him from the curse... I'll be sure to ask him about Ethereas, unless something happens to reveal the answer beforehand."

With that said, the group then nodded in unison, and went back to their lunch. Once they had their fill and the table was put away, Irene then decided to speak up.

"Pietro, do you think you can try looking for Jonathan again? If he was some place that was too dark to see, perhaps if there's a window, that could have changed?"

The stag then nodded as he slipped on his backpack and stood up, before holding out an arm and summoning a new mirror to use. Of course, as Jotaro looked over Pietro's shoulder, a familiar face caught him by surprise as his eyes widened.

"Pietro, hold on." he said, just before the stag could go to the next image, and both of them soon saw a man with armor on his legs, a white shirt under a black jerkin with pink cords on the front, and a tall, silver mullet. Of course, as the man was also tied to a chair in a room somewhere- and as Jotaro noted, reminded the teen of the ballroom from the dream he shared with Veronica in a way, it was clear that if that was who Jotaro actually thought it was... then he must have gotten into trouble.

Again.

_"How could he have gotten to Fanterra? Last Gramps and I saw him, he was heading off to board his plane to Paris..."_ Jotaro thought, before looking to Pietro. "I need you to open up communications with that guy, _now."  
_  
"Um... alright..." Pietro said as he waved his hand over the mirror and silently moved out of the way so Jotaro could talk to the man in peace.

"Polnareff?" Jotaro then said, just as what seemed to be his friend looked towards the mirror- and soon being surprised to see the teen as well.

"Wh-" the knight said, just as the image just... stopped and flashed the image of a lion with three rows of teeth in its open jaws before the hovering mirror showed only Jotaro's face before it shattered apart and vanished. While Pietro seemed surprised- as did Joseph and Irene as they heard the noise and looked their way in concern, Jotaro's anger flared as he looked towards Pietro and spoke.

"Pietro, what the hell was that just now?" the teen then asked, summoning Star Platinum behind him as he looked ready to beat the crap out of their currently frightened guide.

"It... It seems your... 'Polnareff' is in the home of the Zavriel family." he said, "I've met one of them once when I was younger, and unfortunately... that same one is who most likely ended our chance of contacting that man."

"Wait, Zavriel was that ex-fairy godmother, right?" Joseph then asked, "How did her children end up half monster? And which one cut the call exactly?"

"Yes..." Pietro said, before looking like he was suffering from food poisoning. "How they ended up like that... they were born that way due to being the results of the very questionable affairs of their Matriarch, Calina and I'd rather not say anything more than that. As for the one who 'cut the call' as you put it, I met him once as a boy, rather rough around the edges, but... he does have his good moments... as long as you don't threaten his thirty-six half siblings- thirty seven if you count the one who's been missing since the empire ended... or make fun of his hair..."

"Thirtys-" Joseph said, only for Irene to cut him off then and there.

"Joseph, you and Jotaro are better off not knowing." she said, blushing quite a bit, "Talking about Calina's affairs is just... not something to talk about in polite- or impolite company."

"Alright, alright, I won't ask..." Joseph said with a sigh, though he did mentally add, _"However, I'll certainly try and find out more on my own later..."  
_  
Little did Joseph Joestar know, his silent oath to find more about the Zavriels would end up being a symbolic death wish for his sanity.  


~0~

Back with Pierre, as he saw Marik walk right towards him, he also noticed a new addition to the manticore-fae's appearance. Specifically, the fact that the silver chain around his neck had a very well decorated cork that was mostly covered in silver streams that ended up joining to eight, amethyst studded stars, while a ninth one formed the bail-hook so it could hang from the chain and also be removed easily.

Of course, as the chair was set down in front of Pierre, and Marik sat across from him with his stinger raised and a murderous look in the red head's golden eyes, Pierre knew that it was time to get down to business.

"Now, I'll ask you again, and without having to worry about outsiders trying to eavesdrop." Marik said, "What were you doing on top of my little sister?"

"I saved her from being struck by an iron ball, launched by a mage that appeared when she was getting ready to bathe." Pierre said calmly as he looked Marik in the eye, "I admit, I wasn't thinking at the time other than someone was in trouble, and so when I tackled her instead of calling out to her, it was out of instinct more than anything perverted. Then, we both heard how high pitched his voice was as he swore he would make Renee his, before he fled."

Marik said nothing at first, going over the story in his mind as he also compared it to what Renee said- minus the part about when the mage showed up. However, what Renee said about what she heard after she was tackled, that was something that really caused the manticore-fae to become concerned.

"Did you see what this mage looked like?" he then said with a growl, while the two men kept eye contact- as if they were trying to see who'd lose their cool first.

"Dark skin, white hair that was in a series of braids and pulled back tightly. His robe was blue with silver accents, his eyes dark, and he seemed to be leering at Renee with ill-intent." Pierre then said, only to see Marik flinch at the description and look away, remaining a silent for a moment as his rage grew rather quickly.

" **That damn bastard!** " he roared, causing Pierre to cringe and curse as the fae's voice devolved into what could best be described as the sound of a trumpet mixed in with the roars of a lion as Marik stood up and cursed in ways that the knight was rather thankful he couldn't understand- though the way the manticore-fae seemed to move and just jab at the air a few times with his stinger, it seemed that whoever that mage was, they really pissed off the manticore fae if this was the reaction he caused.

After Marik managed to calm down once he had a chance to summon a few human-shaped, cloth dummies and rip them apart with his claws, fangs and tail- most likely to avoid killing Pierre himself, the red head then sat back down and cleared his throat.

"My apologies. The man you described was someone who shouldn't have been able to use magic at all." Marik then said, "You know what those braclets you and my sister wear mean, don't you?"

"Yes, that due to capturing her, Renee and I are wed under fae law." Pierre said, "What do the bracelets have to do with that mage?"

"That mage... _Netanel._.. was Renee's ex-husband" Marik said with an angry growl, while Pierre's jaw dropped at the reveal.

" _Ex-husband!?_ I thought that when a fae's caught and this sort of marriage happens... it's for good!" Pierre said, while Marik rolled his eyes.

"Do you really think we'd have something like this, without having a loophole in the event the fae is in a horrible marriage?" Marik said with a sigh, "There are ways to annul this sort of marriage, and since they never had an actual ceremony, that annulment was doable. All it takes is the fae to be unhappy, and then his or her relatives can go in and rescue them while also breaking the fae stone worn by the captor. Once that happens, that specific human won't be able to re-capture their former spouse, and normally move on after the fae's rescuers deliver a curse as punishment."

"And yet, this Netanel did not..." Pierre said, feeling a bit of rage of his own well up within him, "What exactly did he do to make Renee unhappy?"

"Treated her more like an experiment, a research subject and... an object... instead of a wife, and a person." Marik said with a growl as he clenched his fists- and Pierre could have sworn that the fae suddenly gained an extra row of teeth as he continued to speak, "Netanel's magic relies on his... sex drive, and believed that being 'bigger' was better for him and his new wife. As Renee put it, he tried to make her his 'Happy dumping grounds' and try to get her addicted to him, as well as forcing her to just... I don't even want to say anymore! When I heard this, I personally decided to work with the one being who could get this delusional, compensating mage to realize he fucked up big time- Renee's father Van Halen. After I informed him what happened to his daughter once I found her after spending a month searching non-stop, and how she begged me for help to get her out of there? He was rather forgiving for summoning him, especially as he had heard from one of his allies that Renee was captured by a human."

"I... I would have done the same and offered my own assistance, had I known." Pierre said, blushing a bit. "No woman, especially your sister deserves such a fate."

"This was a Zavriel affair." Marik said as he crossed his arms, "I didn't need to get one of Clawthorn's Knights involved, besides, working with the Barghest Lord would have tarnished your image in town, correct?"

Pierre didn't say a thing as he gave a nod, while Marik continued the tale of Renee's annuled marriage.

"In any event, Van Halen and I raced to Netanel's sanctuary, after Renee told me where it was hidden in Bella Aquae- and with Van Halen making damn sure no one would come try and help Netanel by using his hell hounds to run all over town- rattling their chains and ending the lives of those who committed evil, the two of us broke down the door with Renee's help on the inside, and pulled that bastard out of bed before he could try and break my sister further- especially once I learned he was trying to alter her very soul."

"So, what punishment did you give him?" Pierre asked, causing Marik to grin rather evilly.

"I shrank his manhood to be the direct inverse it was to how large it was- turns out, that inverse was enough to make his voice rather high pitched, and almost like a child." Marik said, while Pierre hissed as he noted that he was probably lucky he didn't piss the fae off that much, "However, as his allies were there, and I heard how each of them were to Renee... I decided to punish them as well. The necromancer who headed the soul-altering attempt was fed to Vararch after I locked both of them in a room. That diviner that tried to have her killed due to a mad crush on Netanel was dragged to Hell itself by Van Halen. The demon summoner was used only as a tool by the diviner, and as he unwittingly helped give Van Halen a lead... he along with the mage cursed to only have destructive power or else explode were simply stripped of their magic by the Barghest himself, and allowed to live without any further suffering."

"Why was the destructive one spared?" Pierre asked in confusion, "Also, why was Netanel spared instead of killed?"

"The destroyer was the only one who showed Renee any kind of concern about how she was treated, along with the demon summoner once it was made clear that Renee wasn't a succubus." Marik said, "As for Netanel... I like those who I curse for trying to harm my family realize how much they screwed up. If I simply killed them like I did for that necromancer, then Netanel wouldn't think that it was his fault. So... I targeted what he cherished most- his manhood, and set things up so that he'd live, but his powers be limited until he learned how to truly respect a woman he takes for a wife as well as not treat people as experiments, or until he dies due to his own stupidity- whichever happens first."

"How long ago was this rescue?" Pierre asked, while Marik looked towards the wall.

"Three months ago. They're marriage lasted only a month... and I guess we're both lucky my sister was able to still admit she was unhappy when I found her." he then said with a small smile on his lips for a moment, before a dark and angry look appeared in its place, "I'd rather not imagine what would have happened if I came across her later than I should have... especially if what she said about that bastard planning to make her look and act like a mindless sex slave was true."

"Neither would I." Pierre said, "However, if he's not learned his lesson and has become obsessed with Renee, he will have to be put down as quickly as possible. After all, my duties as a knight is to protect the innocents of Unicorn's Blade- including you and your siblings."

"On that, I will agree with you." Marik said, "However, he will not make himself easy to find... and I also don't know how he knew where to find her. He caught her in Ringaia... and she swore she never told him where our home was..."

"I'll be sure to interrogate him, before I put him down." Pierre said, "Painfully, if it helps get those answers, and with your assistance if you feel so inclined to give it."

Marik simply gave a chuckle for a moment, before falling silent and putting his clawed, furry hands together as he thought for a few minutes. As much as the Fae hated to admit it, it seemed that so far, Pierre was much better than the mage, however... he decided to ask a few more questions- just to be sure.

"Well then _Knight_ ," Marik then said- still refusing to use Pierre's name despite the knight saying it on the way to the tree the Zavriel family called home, "that brings us to the more important part of our little chat. _How exactly do you plan on treating Renee?"  
_  
Pierre was surprised by the question, and after taking a deep breath, decided to just tell Marik the truth.

"I never expected for this to happen, as I had planned to leave when I realized your sister was there to bathe." he said, "But because I saved her, and ended up as her husband... I hope I can treat her well, and much better than she was by Netanel. I want to get to know her as a person, to make her happy, and do my best to stay with her through both good times and bad. However, if it doesn't work out and she's unhappy with me, I won't force her to stay with me if she does not wish it."

Marik was silent, his eyes closed as he thought about the answer and gave a slightly annoyed growl in response as one thought went through his mind: _"Damn, I'm actually starting to like this one."_

_"Did I say the wrong thing?"_ Pierre thought as he looked a little worried, only for Marik's eyes to open as he asked a new question.

"Now, do you ever intend to take Renee by force from her home?"

"What?" Pierre said in confusion, "Of course not, if I intend to let her leave me for good if things don't work out, why would I take her from her home without her consent? That is a very strange question to ask, don't you think?"

Marik said nothing at first, instead just getting up and moving behind Pierre, and with a swift swipe of his claws, unbound the knight.

"You may return to town- _alone._ " Marik then said, "However, for the next week you are to come by every afternoon and visit Renee- get to know each other, and see if you two are compatible. If both of you can agree that you're not on the seventh day, the bracelets will vanish, and you can go back to your normal routine, but if you think you are, then we can talk more about how to handle things- especially the possibility of an actual wedding ceremony- since while you two are wed by fae law, if you wish to make it official... an actual wedding must occur among the humans as well."

"I'm sure my family will allow it once I tell-" Pierre said, only for Marik to grab the Knight's shoulder and smirk a bit.

"And here's the catch." he said, "For this first week... _you can't tell anyone about this."  
_  
"What? Why not?" Pierre asked, just as a dark aura appeared around Marik's other hand- which was then placed over Pierre's heart.

"To make sure nothing goes wrong and Netanel tries to ruin my sister's chances of having a happier life with another man besides... that bastard." Marik said, "In fact, if you tell anyone about our arrangement for this week, then my curse shall kick in and _whosoever you cherish most, shall fall deathly ill and the cure will be known only by me."  
_  
"What!? Why the hell would you do this!?" Pierre said, just as the dark aura entered the knight's chest- where it would stay until he either succeeded in keeping the secret for the whole week, or told someone what was going on during it. "If I do end up telling someone... than _my sister_ could potentially die! Do you truly want such a cruel fate to befall my sister, just to try and protect your own!?"

As Pierre ended up letting tears of rage fall down his cheeks while he turned to face his potential brother in law, the knight would see the fae actually flinch and look guilty for a moment, before he looked away and spoke.

"I just don't want my sister be in another bad relationship." he then said quietly, "Nor... do I want to risk the chance that I may never see her again, because a bunch of idiots think she enchanted their local hero and wish to punish her and break a spell that isn't even there... at least, none from her."

"I understand your desire to protect your family, but why would you even think the people of Unicorn's Blade would do that?!" Pierre then argued, "We respect you and your siblings after all of you helped our town's greatest hero! None of us would ever think of hurting any of you!"

"That may be true, but people can change under the right circumstances." Marik said coldly, "Besides, if that's true, then why has no one managed to pull out that sword Renee forged two and a half centuries ago?"

After hearing who had forged the sword, Pierre's rage and confusion turned into surprise. He hadn't expected Renee to be the smith behind that beautiful blade the town was renamed for, nor be the one who rescued the legendary hero of his home town all those years ago as well. In fact, he ended up feeling that it was kind of attractive that his potential wife was able to create such a thing despite how delicate she looked- even with her demonic arm.

"From what I can tell, no one seems to be worthy of the blade." Pierre said with a sigh once his mind returned to the conversation at hand. "I've tried for years to claim it, but with each failure... I don't know what I lack, or if it's even possible to draw it out of that stone at all."

"Most people give up after the first time. So, what exactly made you keep trying?" Marik asked, vaguely remembering the rare visits he made to town, and each time seeing Pierre trying to draw that sword now that he thought about it some more.

"Honestly? I at first thought that if I kept trying, and even became a knight through sheer determination, even after I lost my legs as a child... I'd be able to prove my worth by never giving up." Pierre said, "Though now that I have, and the blade still won't be pulled out... I'm starting to doubt myself."

"You know, when that unicorn started causing trouble, we were just going to not get involved." Marik said, "That is, until Renee decided to just save that farmboy and also make that deal with him. Now, what do you think was so special about that one person, when others who begged us for help only got a 'no' in return?"

"I... I don't know." Pierre said, "I always assumed that it was just by chance that it happened."

"Well, if you want that sword still, you should figure it out. Hopefully." Marik said, "As I said before, you may leave now."

"...Thank you. I'll... see you tomorrow then." Pierre said as he left the room, and as it was thankfully on the second floor of the gigantic tree, he didn't have to spend a long time traveling downstairs to head out of the place and get back on the road to the knight's own home.

As Pierre managed to get outside while Marik watched from the window however, Renee entered the room and walked up next to her brother- just as he took the cork he had on his silver chain, and placed it on his stinger.

"So, what do you think of Pierre?" Renee asked, causing her brother to snort and cross his arms as he acted annoyed with his eyes closed.

"He seems like a good man... so far at least." he said with a frown as he opened one eye and glanced at his sister, "I still have my doubts however, so it's up to you to test his character. Just... be careful while you're doing so, ok? I don't want to lose another sibling."

"So, is that why you asked him about taking me out of here by force?" Renee asked slyly while her brother flinched and blushed.

"You know how worried I was when Netanel caught you, and you never came back when you said you would." Marik said quietly.

"Yeah, I know." Renee said, "You were so worried that you actually left home to look for me, and one month later, you hugged me as if you were never going to see me again- tears coming down your eyes and you were trumpeting while you talked. I know you worry too much, but... I'm not our older brother you know."

"Didn't stop you from begging me to get you out of that mess." Marik said, "Be happy I didn't bring along all our brothers over age ten as well, then things would have gotten really messy."

Renee then sighed and gave a nod, "Anyway, I'll do my best to be careful, ok? And if you're extra worried, I heard our big sister is on her way to town, so she can probably help by keeping an eye on Pierre, and also keeping an eye out for that ex of mine and whatever it is he's planning."

Marik simply nodded and as the taller fae patted his little sister's head with a smile- he then ruffled her long white hair a bit and turned to leave the room.

"Dinner's in an hour, try not to be late." was all he said to her, before leaving her alone in one of the spare rooms. Renee of course, didn't say a word, and simply rolled her eyes as she turned back to the window and saw her potential husband head back to town.

"I wonder if Pierre will be the one to inspire me to finish that armor I was forging, to go with the sword?" she then asked herself, "Armor made out of love is difficult to make when I can't pour my heart into it."  


~0~

Back in Unicorn's Blade and just as the sun was beginning to set, Team Zeppeli and Arachne the Seamstress had finally arrived in town and was just slowly going through the area as they passed a sword in the stone- with Veronica even wondering if pulling it out would make a person a king.

Turned out, despite the Sword in the Stone being a legend in her own world, the idea of Excalibur or King Arthur was downright unbelievable to the citizens of Fanterra. Especially since Ricky, Arachne and even Wamu had ended up laughing at her a bit as she explained the story.

"A sword making someone a king, just because they pulled it out of a rock?" Ricky then said once the laughter finished, "That's just as ridiculous as believing that somewhere in Fanterra, there are three princesses who sealed themselves away after some moron failed to break their curse, and making sure no one would ever find them again to boot!"

"Wait, is that an actual thing?" Veronica asked in confusion, but before anyone could answer, Wamu suddenly stopped the cart and caused the passengers in the back to have to hold on tightly- though Ricky did lose his hat in the process.

"Hey, what the hell Wamu!?" Ricky snapped as he got out of the cart to pick his hat up and dust it off before it got trampled or run over or something. Of course, as he and the others saw a man with a tall silver mullet and red armor looking like he saw a ghost, it was clear that the wolf's bodyguard had just narrowly avoided running over the local law-enforcement.

"Oh, uh... sorry." the wolf then said before clearing his throat while walking over and extending a hand to the knight, "Name's Ricky Lupo, me, Miss Arachne, my friend Veronica and my bodyguard here, Wandorian just got into town, so if you could show us to an inn Sir...?"

"Pierre Polheffur," the knight then said as he shook Ricky's hand and nodded towards the two women in the back of the cart, "And you're forgiven about what nearly happened, my... mind was elsewhere."

"Something botherin ya... Sir Polheffur?" Ricky said, stifling a laugh as he tried not to go into his usual nicknaming scheme around what was basically a cop. Especially since it shortened to Pipo.

"No, no, it's nothing you should be concerned about." Pierre then said as he adjusted his left bracer a bit- and Veronica swore she thought she saw a bit of gold on his wrist. "Anyway, the inn is just down the street, and to the left at the fountain up ahead. Let them know who directed you there, and they should give you a discount for your stay. The owner owes me for something I did for him years ago, so he tends to be nice to people who mention my name until I decide to just call in that favor."

"Thanks!" Veronica said as Ricky got back in the cart and Wamu got the horses going again. Though, as they drove ahead slowly, only Arachne noticed the knight look back at them, almost trying to see why the seamstress looked familiar to him. Luckily, he didn't seem to realize it as he just shrugged and walked away, and Arachne looked back at Wamu as things seemed to be peaceful for the moment.

That is, until Ricky started to growl as he felt like something was wrong in the area.

Suddenly, Veronica let out a gasp as she held her hands over her neck as she found it hard to breathe before coughing and hacking as she fell over. As Ricky watched and panicked as he tried to figure out what was going on, he removed her scarf and her hands as he made sure to try and loosen her shirt enough for her to try and breathe with Arachne's help however- especially since the gold collar around her neck suddenly widened as it sensed that the girl was in danger of choking. Then, he looked at her shoulder once it was exposed and his eyes widened as he saw that somehow, the silver haired girl looked like something had stung her- even though he could also smell the scent of dark magic coming from the "wound."

"Shit... someone's hit Veze with a curse!" he growled, before trying to see if he could figure out where it came from. Unfortunately, all he saw was an empty street, and so, he turned to Wamu and spoke up.

"Wamu, get us to the inn, ASAP! We need to get someplace safe, indoors, and hopefully much easier to protect if someone's targeting Veze- especially if Hierophant Black or whoever that thing's working for is behind this!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well shit, this chapter ended on a terrifying note- Veronica getting cursed just as she got to town.
> 
> Also, this chapter does go into some heavy stuff regarding a bad relationship, and the crap it can put not just the person suffering most in the relationship can go through, but also the sufferer's family as well. While Renee was rescued before she could be... well, basically made a sex slave, it seems Marik's attempts to teach Netanel a lesson didn't stick. 
> 
> Also, I really, REALLY hope I didn't offend anyone with how I wrote that discussion, especially since I had to write it in a way so that on space battles, it wasn't considered NSFW and get me banned.
> 
> Anyway, there weren't any JJBA cameos this chapter, but this chapter's title comes from the vocaloid song "My Crush was a Monster Boy." The previous Chapter's title came from the Queen Song "Save Me."
> 
> Moving on, this chapter also introduces the idea of Familiara, which... sadly don't get showed off due to Pietro's "Null Magic" thing, and also him not knowing the name of the spirit in Maleen's locket anyway. I do plan on having a Familiara show up eventually though, so don't worry.
> 
> We also get to learn about the Blue Faerie Empire, and learn that the guy that disguised himself as Caesar that Joseph saw in his dream back in the prologue is a member of the Zavriel Family. Gee, I wonder what this coinkydink could mean, folks?
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Three days of travel later, Team Jojo finally reach Thornsborough, though in Unicorn's Blade, Wamu and Arachne have a chat, and Pierre and Renee have a moment to bond...


	10. A Boy Named Sue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowie is regaining his health, and decides to see what goes on in his and Amelia's base of operations- though he may learn  
> something about his caretaker than he hadn't, before he starts to have a chat with the captive Prince Joe White.
> 
> Three days after Veronica became cursed however, and Team Jojo finally reaches Thornsborough, where they find a BIG surprise.
> 
> Meanwhile in Unicorn's Blade, Pierre and Renee bond some more, and Wamu confronts Arachne about something personal.

"Ah, what a beautiful new cane!~" Bowie said as he opened a box Amelia had given him, and pulled out what was inside- a cane that was masterfully carved with vines and flowers along the shaft, while the handle was made of gold and shaped to look like a squirrel- instead of something more intimidating for a villain such as a dragon, wolf, or some other predatory animal.  
  
As he then decided to finish the sandwich Amelia had brought him for lunch, he stood up while he chewed and tested the cane out with a few steps, and felt rather satisfied that it was just the right height to be used without stooping or have his arm at a ninety-degree angle all the time. As he was already dressed in a black shirt and pants, with brown leather boots with Amelia's help- he stopped by the mirror and looked at himself to see what might have needed adjusting.  
  
It had only been a few days since those two unexpected heroes had arrived in Fanterra according to Karas and Amelia, and while Bowie figured they weren't worth worrying about just yet- though he would have them be observed so he wouldn't be caught off guard in case they found his dear Amelia's sanctuary to attack him.  
  
"Then again, since they most likely don't know who I even am, much less what I'm up to... I don't have to worry about them attacking this early in this story- besides, it'd be a boring moment in history if the 'heroes' figured out everything after only a few days, now wouldn't it? Best let them have a little fun before I start throwing out the more obvious clues... much more fun that way. After all, playing with a potential threat is not something I hope has gone out of fashion while I was sealed away." Bowie said to himself as he leaned on his cane while he had one foot placed flat on its toes and facing sideways next to the other- before he did a few simple dance steps in front of the mirror and finally spread his legs apart as he stood and leaned forward on his cane while it was placed on the floor between them.  
  
"Hmm... maybe I should invest in a hat- nothing too threatening, just something that will make me look... oh what was the word? Dapper? Hmm... yes, that sounds about right." He then said as he frowned and felt like something was missing as he looked at his wild-haired reflection- and also noting how his clothes were out of style now after having looked through a book on fashion history. "Maybe a new suit as well... shame my skills as a tailor are non-existent, I would have loved to just use magic to update my clothes. Oh well, I'm sure there's a tailor somewhere who's willing to serve."  
  
As he then raised a hand to scratch at his bandaged eye a bit, he sighed as he then added, "Though, I do hope I can take these bandages off soon. I'd very much love to see with both eyes again, I'm starting to miss seeing my brown eye in the mirror."  
  
After checking to make sure his appearance was as good as it was going to get- as well as doing a few random poses with his cane as he confirmed the need for a hat to go with it, he then headed out of his room for the first time during his stay, and looked around the hallway.  
  
"Hmm... kind of bland..." he said as he noted the lack of decoration and considered maybe one day going shopping with Amelia to get something to help make her sanctuary feel much more homey- among other things, since he felt she certainly needed help developing her tastes in things besides her cooking, clothes and masks in the future, but decided that could wait for when he was fully healed. Not to mention that he'd like to use both eyes to be able to see where this sanctuary was since Amelia insisted on him staying indoors while he recovered.  
  
_"She may be an odd witch-who still won't show me her face yet, but she does care quite a bit for me."_ he thought to himself as he walked down the hallway and hummed a bit as he decided to do a little exploration while his caretaker wasn't around to scold him like a child. He was a grown fae after all, and besides, it is always best to know as much as where one is staying as possible in case a quick getaway was needed.  
  
Thankfully, he wouldn't have to get lost in this place as he sniffed the air and smiled as he recognized the scent of pot roast along with slow-cooked carrots and potatoes, as well as onions- most likely for flavor along with some garlic. Following his nose, he soon came across Amelia pushing a cart with a plate of the meal he smelled, as well as a giant pot of stew- most likely for the _other_ thing in the sanctuary, going by what he tended to hear at night. Of course, as she stared at him while he leaned on his new cane and gave her a smile and waved, she gave an awkward smile back before she spoke.  
  
"I see I was correct in bringing you some Phoenix Wine." she said, "You're recovering rather quickly m--- Bowie."  
  
"Well, the anti-venom helped as well," Bowie said with a smile as looked at the food cart. "So, where are you headed with those?"  
  
"Dungeon," Amelia said as she started moving again, with Bowie walking alongside her, his cane tapping in rhythm with the grinding of the wheels to form a tune that it seemed only Bowie could hear as he hummed along for a bit.  
  
"Well, I guess I might as well come with you." he said, "You know, introduce myself to our prisoner, meet whatever it is that is making those noises at night, and of course enhance my presence in the threads of this grand tale we call history."  
  
"You've certainly gotten a bit more... theatrical today, haven't you?" Amelia asked dryly as she saw how energetic her master was.  
  
"It's the cane. Brings something out in me, honestly." Bowie then said with a laugh as he used his other hand to pat Amelia's shoulder for a moment, "Thank you again, for getting it for me, and also finding one with a squirrel on it- though, I'd have been happy with whatever you got me."  
  
"I always try and get what you ask of me, Bowie." Amelia said as she blushed a bit, before growling a bit in anger, "However... in regards to the girl..."  
  
"Oh dear," Bowie said with some concern, "You're biting your lip, I take it things aren't going as you hoped?"  
  
"She's guarded by the... newest... Big Bad Wolf and his damn bodyguard." she said, gripping the cart enough that her knuckles turned white from rage, "As they are also stopped in Unicorn's Blade- where the Zavriels are located... it's going to be difficult for Karas to get in and grab her. Especially since someone cursed her- illness of some kind from what I've scryed."  
  
"I see..." Bowie said, frowning, "As much as I planned on using her to break Ethereas' heart, it seems our distraction will need to take a back seat for now."  
  
"Distraction?" Amelia then asked in surprise.  
  
"Yes. While I did say the plan was to break Ethereas' heart with his true love, I fear I must admit that is only a side-plan, to keep the heroes- or at least the ones with the girl, distracted enough to not even realize what we're really up to." Bowie then said casually as he gave his accomplice a playful smirk, "However, if Ethereas' true love isn't free of her curse, then I may have to step out into the spotlight and cause her to possibly owe me a favor in the future- if I've fully recovered by then that is.."  
  
"I see." Amelia said, "And what exactly is our plan? Do you wish to restore the Blue Faerie Empire?"  
  
"Oh no." Bowie said then as he gave a wave of dismissal, "If it didn't work the first time, why oh why would I try it again? I'd rather not be stuck as a garden decoration again, thank you very much"  
  
"I see your point," Amelia said with a nod as they arrived at the dungeon cell she was going to and moved to open the door. "So again I ask, what exactly is our plan?"  
  
"I'll tell you i---" Bowie said before his eyes widened and he ended up stumbling backward a bit as to what he saw within their prisoner's cell. "Wh-WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET A _DRAGON!?"_  
  
As Amelia looked ahead and saw the gigantic monster with black scales, a white underbelly and webbing within its wings, ivory spikes on its eye-ridges and nose, and finally a very angry looking pair of gold eyes, the red-cloaked witch simply shrugged as she looked to the other prisoner seated across the cell from the beast- Prince Jonathan White. As the prince was shackled to the walls with enough length in the chains to provide enough slack to sit and stand comfortably while moving around, but running away wasn't going to happen anytime soon since the prince's chains only allowed him to walk a few steps before he'd fall flat on his face.  
  
"The beast was already here." Amelia said as she took the smaller meal and set it down in front of the prince, "I just outsmarted it and locked it up in the dungeon when I turned this place into my sanctuary... though, with how much the damn lizard loves its privacy, I'm surprised it hasn't tried to kill its new cellmate."  
  
"His name is Danny." Jonathan then said with a slight uncharacteristic glare towards his captors, before silently eating his meal.  
  
"What." Amelia said flatly as she glared at Jonathan, "Why oh why did you just... name that thing like it was some sort of dog?"  
  
"I didn't." Jonathan said, "He told me himself. However, he doesn't like that you invaded his home and took it over, while also binding him in this cell so he can't even try to escape or take it back."  
  
"So why doesn't it tell me itself?" Amelia asked coldly while Bowie seemed a bit surprised to see this side of the woman who had helped him so far.  
  
"Because he doesn't want to waste his breath on someone who won't listen," Jonathan said with a smile, while the dragon snorted in agreement.  
  
"You're lucky we need you, Prince White," Amelia said as she restrained herself from using her magic to harm the more human prisoner in the cell for now, and let Bowie talk to the prince as she then took the pot of stew and placed it in front of the dragon before teleporting away from the beast so it wouldn't be able to devour her as well. Of course, as Jonathan then looked up at the ascended goblin, his eyes widened a bit in surprise, before watching as Bowie sat down across from him, with his cane on the fae's lap.  
  
"So..." the goblin then said as he examined his nails rather than the prince for the moment, "You know who I am, correct?"  
  
"Y...you're Bowie, the Dark King stopped by Puck, according to the old documents I found while studying Archaeology, as well as the man who harmed the Storykeeper."  
  
"That never happened. I don't know why they think I did, just because I'm apparently the only bloody fae immune to iron. I mean really, why would I _want_ to hurt Mother Hulda? I don't know where she is, much less who'd be dumb enough to go find her and attack her in the first place!" Bowie said a bit irritably, before taking a deep breath, "In any event... since you seem to be a history buff, perhaps you can tell me about the... oh what were they called... Oh yes! _The Seven Soldiers of Fortune?"  
_  
"You mean the collective name for the knights of all seven kingdoms?" Jonathan asked as he raised an eyebrow, "Well, there's Clawthorn's Rose Knight, Miravel's Mirror Knight, Ringaia's Ring Knight, the Epic Knight of Scherezade, Spherean's Crystal Knight, Usaginaba's Peach Knight and the Clockwork Knight of Golemia. I don't know why you'd ask me about that since information on them can be found in any travel guide you come across for each kingdom."  
  
Bowie, however, simply looked at Jonathan, humming a bit as he studied the prince's face before smirking a bit.  
  
"You know, you're eyes seem to show you know more than you're willing to say, dear Prince." he then said as he leaned in close enough that Jonathan soon felt very uneasy as he not only noticed that the goblin's face was close enough to his that they'd end up kissing if Jonathan hadn't pulled back- but Jonathan also hoped that Irene never saw this out of fear she'd think he'd cheat on her with another person.  
  
"Wh-What makes you say that?" Jonathan then said nervously, while also blushing as he kept his mind focused on his betrothed rather than the goblin in front of him.  
  
"Simple. You know who I am, and from what I've noticed in the history books, I've been just about forgotten." Bowie said, before smiling a bit wider and showing the prince his sharp teeth, "Buuuut.... you, as an archaeologist must have a grand curiosity of what happened in the past, be it the Blue Faerie Empire I lived through or... perhaps the Lost Age before then as well?"  
  
"Me? Know of the Lost Age?" Jonathan said as he looked away, "I believe you're mistaken."  
  
"You're a terrible liar. But, that's the price one pays when their heart is Pure Good." Bowie said with a sigh, "Now then, let's drop the act your highness, and let's talk about the Original Seven Soldiers of Fortune... _especially the two that were replaced."_

~0~

Pietro Aifread had been sitting in camp at around sunset, still searching for Jonathan. While his attempts to scry the man had apparently been blocked after the small success he had earlier, he was frustrated as he tried to find a way around it. After what had happened during lunch that day with an apparent friend of Jotaro and Joseph's in the hands of the Zavriels, and a feeling of anger coming from both Jotaro and Joseph once the brunette found out, the stag was just hoping to do something right that day to try and make up for it.  
  
Unfortunately, things were about to get a bit worse as he came across the image of Ricky Lupo, looking worried as his hair was a mess, his tie hanging loosely around his neck and overall looking like he hadn't slept.  
  
"Ricky?" Pietro said, before he gained the rest of his group's attention and signaled they come over and see what was going on, "What happened?"  
  
_"It's Veze... Veronica. She's... she's gotten cursed- some sort of illness from the looks of it, and we don't know who or what did it to her or why."_ the wolf then said, _"I saw what looked like a wound from a stinger, but I was looking right at her, and she... she had trouble breathing, collapsed, and well, we had to get her someplace safe. Luckily that collar of hers expanded itself to help her breathe better, but... I dunno, something about this seems off. I didn't see or smell a mage when it hit, and the only other person I know of that might have done it? She didn't seem to be the type to hurt someone at random."  
_  
"She?" Jotaro then asked, raising an eyebrow, as Ricky growled in frustration a bit.  
  
_"Some seamstress we ran into named Arachne. Seems Usaginaban but... I dunno, she also smells like a fae and... something else. Sure, she looks normal enough, but she's quiet, polite, and seems more interested in Veze's scarf and how it's made than hurting Veze."_ Ricky then said as Pietro seemed to relax a bit though as the Joestar's noticed, still showed he was taking this seriously, _"Thing is, I get the feeling that Wamu knows her, but from how he seems creeped out by her, and the way he said she reminded him of Cinderella's fairy godmother... I dunno, something doesn't feel right about this, and I don't know how connected it is to Veze's condition."  
_  
"I'll look into what might be happening to Veronica for you on my end, Ricky." Pietro said, "For now, don't leave Unicorn's Blade. With Veronica cursed, it could mean a lot of trouble on the road- especially if its a magic-induced illness."  
  
_"Thanks, Deer-boy. I'll keep you guys updated once I find anything on my end, for now, though, Wamu and I will be swapping shifts guarding Veronica, and keeping an eye on Arachne."_  
  
"You're welcome Ricky." Pietro said, "Irene is having us go to Thornsborough first, so we're delayed a bit as well... especially since the carriage we were using was wrecked."  
  
_"I see. Well, we just got pounced on by bandits before meeting Arachne, but we still have our cart. Hopefully, you guys can get transportation figured out so you don't spend too long on the road to Appledale."_ Ricky then said, before doing his best to lighten the mood on his end, _"Wouldn't want to have to wait around for a month before you show up."  
_  
"Then how about a bet?" Joseph then said while Pietro sighed as he had a feeling this would be a bad idea, "Whoever gets to Appledale first? Decides what the loser has to do- no matter how embarrassing."  
  
_"Heh, making a bet with stakes that vague with a guy like me? Hope you don't try and back out if you lose. Already ended a blood feud before leaving Bella Aquae, and I sure as hell don't want to try getting my family into another one."_ Ricky said as he grinned and showed his fangs.  
  
"What do you take me for, a cheat?" Joseph said with a smirk, "No way I'll go back on something like this!"  
  
_"Good to hear, see ya when I see ya, Team Jojo."_ Ricky then said as Pietro ended the call then and there.  
  
"So." Jotaro then said as everyone else left him and the stag alone for the moment, "You know who this 'Arachne' is, don't you?"  
  
"I have a theory," Pietro said, "And if I'm right about who I think she is based on Ricky's description, I'm sure she's innocent of what happened to Veronica. However... I'm not sure how Wandorian could be connected to her since as far as I'm aware, not many people knew what Cinderella's godmother looked like unless they knew Cinderella personally, but there's a problem with that."  
  
"Cinderella disappeared and all that was left behind was a glass slipper?" Jotaro said, remembering the story he heard once from his mother as a child.  
  
" _Glass_ slippers?" Pietro said in confusion, "No, she had gold ones- enchanted to be lightweight on her feet of course. But even then, she didn't disappear. She was _murdered_ twenty-five years ago."  
  
"He may have heard it from someone else who knew." Jotaro suggested, "Her husband, right?"  
  
"Possibly, but all I know of Wandorian Muselli is that he was brought to Ringaia from elsewhere as a boy, and raised in the Arena as a slave and gladiator until Ares Lupo bought and freed him ten years ago, and paid him to be the bodyguard of his two sons- Alan and Ricky... well, until Alan ended up dying one week and three days before you and your grandfather arrived."  
  
"What exactly happened to Alan?" Jotaro asked, recalling how Pietro gave the wolf his condolences about the loss when they first made contact with Veronica and her group.  
  
"He... he was cut open the night before his wedding by an assassin, and... stuffed with stones, going from what Ricky told me," Pietro said as he looked a little sick at his stomach now. "All I know about the assassin- again, based on what Ricky told me, is that she's a human woman- non-bestial elf, with a red cloak and most likely a mage."  
  
Jotaro didn't say a word and simply nodded as he realized what story took place, or at least, a version that hopefully didn't involve eating people- even with Red Riding hood playing the role of the Huntsman as well. As the teen settled down for the night to sleep, he only wondered if there was some connection between what was going on and the murder of Ricky's brother. After all, when he learned why Polnareff was traveling, it turned out the murderer of his sister Sherry, had just so happened to be working for DIO... so who was to say if the same thing was going on here?  
  
Personally, he hoped that damn vampire wasn't behind this.

 

~0~

Three days later, Team Jojo, as Ricky called them, would be almost to their first destination of Thornsborough. As there had been no change in Veronica's condition or in information when Pietro checked that morning- other than whatever the curse was that had hit Veronica had also struck other women in Unicorn's Blade, it was pretty worrying for everyone about what was going on.  
  
"So, what can you tell us about Thornsborough, anyway?" Joseph then said, hoping to lighten the mood even a little bit as the group walked along the road through a rather thick forest.  
  
"Well, the town itself is built near the base of Mt. Silvas- and as I recall, the mountain was named after the mysterious entity that protects the area itself. It is also right next to the border with Scherezade- a desert kingdom named after the main goddess they worship there, and the area around Mt. Silvas is also believed to be the origin point for Shapeshifters during the Blue Faerie Empire." Pietro then said, "However, whether that origin is due to a mad mage, a meteor hitting the area from outer space or some other method is highly debated by history scholars and archaeologists even today."  
  
"So Irene," Jotaro then said as he listened to Pietro's exposition, "What did Jonathan believe about that?"  
  
"Actually... he didn't seem all that interested in that subject." Irene admitted, "He was more interested in other areas of Fanterra rather than Miravel itself, not to mention he believed that no matter what you thought when it came to where Shapeshifters came from, all you'd get is argument after argument until someone ended up calling someone a few things that just aren't polite for anyone."  
  
Before Joseph could ask just exactly those things were while the group was getting ever closer to the northern gate to Thornsborough, Alphonse suddenly stopped and sniffed the air as he growled a bit in confusion. As the rest of the group looked at him- with the Joestars feeling worried in case it was trouble, they then watched as the Alphyn's tail wagged around while smacking Pietro in the face with the tuft of fluffy fur at the end, before the draconic wolf bolted ahead barking happily.  
  
"Wait, Alphonse!" Pietro said while running after the beast in a panic, "Calm down boy and get back here! We don't want a repeat of what happened in Gem Hill's Market!"  
  
"What is with that Alphyn, anyway?" Irene asked as she, the Joestars and Star Platinum just walked after the pair, "Usually they don't run off like that unless there is nobility around... but Alphonse seems to be willing to pounce and lick everyone he meets."  
  
"I think Pietro mentioned something about the mutt detecting noble spirits rather than bloodlines." Joseph said as he remembered the aftermath of meeting Alphonse- and unfortunately the beast's previous owner, "Though, once he found Pietro, Alphonse did turn against that little pain in the ass, Peri Winks."  
  
"Who's Peri?" Irene then asked, causing Jotaro to grumble while Joseph explained once again.  
  
"Some fairy bitch that bullied Pietro a lot as a kid... going by how he acted when he saw her anyway." the brunette said, "Apparently, she used to live in Deerbank, but tried to murder Pietro's sister to stop her from marrying Peri's old boss, got hit with a geas or something and couldn't do anything until she handed over some gifts for our reflective friend. Once that was done? Well, she was beaten to a pulp by Jotaro, Star Platinum and Alphonse so I don't think we'll see her again."  
  
"Well, if Jotaro had iron on him, then she'd probably take a while to recover." Irene said- though she seemed slightly unnerved when Joseph mentioned the word 'geas' as he noticed, before the brunette could probe a bit more, Irene then asked,  "He... did have iron on hand, right?"  
  
"Uh... why would we need iron?" Joseph asked, while also getting a bad feeling in his gut.  
  
"Because, fae are weak to physical iron metal since it can burn them if it touches them, and can also take longer to heal than if you injure them without it... not to mention Iron is the only thing that can kill a fae." Irene said, "You didn't know that?"  
  
"Uh... no?" Joseph said while Jotaro just wrote down the info in his notebook before slipping it back into his pocket. Of course, as they looked at Irene's face- the way she looked like they murdered a man in front of her did not help the feeling of impending doom they both had.  
  
"Well, we better get all three of you some iron charms to wear as protection..." she said before giving a groan, "Because when it comes to pissing off the fae, they tend to go into overkill with their payback. Also, uh... what kind of fae was Peri?"  
  
"I dunno, six inches tall, bitchy, had this flower dress thing... why should it matter?" Joseph asked- causing Irene to sigh.  
  
"Because depending on what kind of fae she is, that will help me figure out the best method of helping you guys out in case it turns out that Pietro can't undo curses." she said then, "And since it sounds like Peri was a floral fae, then it's best to avoid the plant she's associated with. Since I don't think you know, I'll just ask Pietro for more information."  
  
Before Joseph could comment and defend his intelligence, the group then heard Pietro's voice again- and apologizing to someone by the sound of things, and moved quicker until they could see the stag holding Alphonse in his arms, while talking to something sitting on a large rock just outside the town gate. As they managed to get closer though, they soon saw what that something was- a big, muscular and heavyset man with pointed ears like Pietro, scars on his face, arms and everywhere else there was exposed skin- with the most prominent of them being a scar going from the right side of his jaw, moving up the cheek before going straight across the nose and then moving straight up through the left eye, and finally moving back over his scalp- where the group could see by the lack of hair on the scar's path. The man's hair was gray and cut very short, his eyes a fierce orange and he wore a large, thick leather apron over a pair of brown pants, a soot-stained, short-sleeved shirt and on his feet were a pair of armored boots while a very large, and wicked looking hammer rested on the ground next to him. As he listened to Pietro though, and simply nodded at the apology, the group wasn't quite sure what the stranger was, other than huge, until they moved closer and saw two more things about him.  
  
First, was the fact he had a light gray tail like a wolf as well as fangs poking out over his lower lip- marking him as a bestial elf. The second thing, however, was the fact that despite the fierce appearance he had, he was rather calm and collected in the face of Pietro's apology- and considering that he also had Alphyn slobber on his face and a smile on his lips, he was certainly not an enemy.  
  
"Again, I'm very sorry about Alphonse." Pietro then said for the second time, "He tends to be rather friendly for an alphyn."  
  
"Tis fine, tis fine." the giant wolf then said with a dismissive wave, before shifting a bit to show a pair of unicorns grazing nearby- and as Jotaro noticed along with Irene, were the same ones that ran off when they had their wreck days ago. "Those your unicorns?"  
  
"Well, yes," Pietro said with a nod, however, before the larger man could speak, he sniffed the air and growled as he moved to pick up his hammer.  
  
"Not again..." the wolf said in annoyance, just as a group of thugs rushed from the trees into the Gate's clearing- weapons out and ready to fight as their leader- a young man with a smug grin on his face, brown eyes and a very stupid looking haircut that seemed like a cross between a bowl-cut and someone shaving the sides of their head, stepped forward and pointed a crossbow at the wolf.  
  
"We're here for those unicorns you've been guarding!" the thug leader said while his voice just grated on Jotaro and Joseph's nerves, "I don't know how you managed to beat most of my boys, but I may as well teach you a lesson. Mutt."  
  
"Buzz off." the giant wolf then said, unimpressed by the bravado while Pietro immediately ran back to the rest of his group to hide behind Star Platinum- all while still holding a now growling Alphonse, "I'm about to talk business with the owners of those two unicorns, so if you don't want to end up injured like your followers, I advise you give up and let me handle my affairs so that I may go home to my wife."  
  
"HA! Like we'd give up on snatching a prize like that!?" the idiotic bandit then said, "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but once I've taken care of you and robbed those noble looking wimps over there, perhaps me and my boys will go find your bitch and... console her about how much of a worthless beast she ended up marrying!"  
  
"Oh no," Pietro said as Joseph, Jotaro, Star Platinum and Irene began moving in to fight. "Uh... I don't think we should interfere this time..."  
  
"Why not?" Jotaro asked as he and the others stopped, only to be answered by Pietro first pointing at the larger wolf- who was now standing up at his full height of 8 and a half feet, and picking up his hammer off the ground as he growled in anger before the stag continued speaking.  
  
"I know who he is, and well... insult his wife, and he will attack anyone who gets between him, and the one who just sealed their fate."  
  
As the group then turned back to look at the incoming slaughter- Jotaro then noticed that the giant wolf seemed a bit more beastly than earlier- his hands and lower arms gaining fur up to about halfway to the elbow, his boots bursting apart to reveal clawed, hairy feet that looked much like the paws of a wolf that had been combined with a human's foot, and finally his fangs actually becoming more noticeable as fur sprouted on his cheeks, neck, and shoulders.  
  
"My name is **_Sue!_** How do you _**DO!?"**_ the wolf then said with a fierce growl as he held his hammer and readied himself for battle, while a smarter portion of the bandits started to run away as they realized that they were about to be screwed. Of course, the bandit leader and the rest of the group who stayed with him outnumbered the wise cowards in this situation, they simply readied their weapons and held their ground even as Sue punched one over-eager bandit wielding an axe out of the clearing.  
  
_"Now you gonna die!"_

 

~0~

In the town of Unicorn's Blade, Team Zeppeli had been unable to leave town- mostly from the fact that Veronica was still cursed, and also because of the worry that moving her now would cause things to get worse. In fact, as it had been decided that Ricky and Wamu would take shifts guarding the Earthling in case this was part of a plot set up by Hierophant Black or worse- who or whatever it was that controlled the monster.  
  
At the moment though, Ricky and his bodyguard had just swapped shifts, with the latter going out into town with Arachne to listen for any potential leads while also taking a moment to stock up on supplies in the market. Of course, as neither said a word to each other and as a few people noticed that Wamu seemed very uneasy around the raven-haired woman who walked alongside him- it was clear that there was certainly tension between them. Of course, while some people gossiped about how the large gladiator might have a crush on his current companion, or how Arachne was probably spending time with both Wamu and the wolf Ricky Lupo to decide who'd she let court her, the pair ignored those rumors and instead focused on anything else that was said.  
  
_"Have you noticed that lately some of the girls in town have just fallen ill?"  
  
"Ja, all of them are the prettiest girls around to- though that traveler at the inn- the girl with the silver hair? She's certainly a pretty girl too, I wonder how many hearts she broke?"  
  
"Who knows? All I know is that she was the second victim after the smith's daughter fell ill, and over the past three days, all those girls seem to be suffering a curse. I mean, if it was a plague, it'd have gone for all of us by now! But the main thing is that they all share something in common- a mark on their shoulder that looks like it came from a stinger."  
  
"A stinger? Do you think Marik Zavriel is doing this? I mean, this illness is nothing like what's said to happen when the Spider Witch gets someone as a model..."  
  
"Who knows? I personally hope it isn't, especially since Marik had a great role in our town's history! He's as much a hero as the original wielder of our town's namesake!"  
_  
Wamu tuned out the rest of that conversation- partly to pay for the non-perishable supplies they were buying- such as a clockwork lighter to use for a campfire along with a couple of bottles of kerosene to replace the one attached already once it was emptied and also to mentally note that the girls who had fallen ill as well seemed to be suffering the same curse as Veronica. As he then left the clockwork shop with the new lighter and a couple of other things- such as a maintenance kit for Veronica to use on her pocket watch once she was uncursed and a music box to take back as a souvenir more than anything, the bodyguard gave a quick glance to Arachne to see what she could have felt about the information.  
  
Seeing she had a subtle look of annoyance on her face, he had a good idea about who or what she was thinking. As he said nothing for now though, he then continued walking with her and listening to more gossip and rumors. Of course, as they passed by a tired looking Pierre, they simply greeted him in silence as he gave a small nod in return before heading out on patrol once again. Combined with patrol and his ongoing investigation, it was clear that the knight was working hard at least.  
  
_"Have you heard that the Rose Knight is coming to town in a couple of days?"  
  
"Yeah, I have! Do you think it might have to do with the curse going around?"  
  
"Nah, probably just an inspection to see if Sir Polheffer is up to snuff as a knight. But, with how hard he's working during this mystery, I think he'll be able to pass easily!"  
  
"Who cares about that? I'm more eager to see Sir Fang come to town! I mean, sure he's a lion based Bestial Elf, and the first of a new bloodline to bear the title because the king didn't want the princess to fall for the actual heir, Khrima because a lone princess as heir to the kingdom and a female knight would cause one hell of a scandal in terms of prolonging the royal family, but Sir Fang is just soooooo handsome!~"  
  
"Eh, I don't see why the king was worried, I mean some nobles have same-gendered lovers while taking a wife or husband to have children, and from what I heard from Sir Polheffer, Khrima Thorn, Fangstian Leonne, and Princess Sandra Leodove are all just good friends- even after Khrima and Sir Fang stopped dating."  
  
"Ooh! Didn't know the two Roses broke up! I wonder if Sir Fang might need someone to heal his broken heart?"  
  
"Nah, they broke up amicably and agreed it'd be better to just be friends. But what we should worry about is the fact that Pierre may lose his job if he doesn't stop this curse soon."  
  
"Oh... which means we won't have protection until a new Knight is assigned... and we all know how crappy our town militia is..."_  
  
As Wamu and Arachne ended up walking past the gossipers by the town's namesake- the beautifully crafted blade that was currently stuck in a giant rock, as the gossipers nodded in agreement about the town militia's apparent ineptitude, they both glanced towards each other as they silently made their way to the woods. Over the past three days, Ricky had noticed that the two seemed to have a lot of tension as well as a bit of history and combined with the stress he was having to deal with in making sure Veronica was safe, he had snapped at them that morning to go on and get whatever was going on figured out before coming back to the inn, as he did not need- in his words anyway, _"whatever personal issues you two have with each other just making things rougher on keeping our friend safe- **especially** when she's got a faerie husband waiting for her that may end up screwing us over big time if he gets pissed off because Veronica was captured, killed or whatever due to shit like this making it hard to cooperate!"_  
  
As Ricky had also shown signs of going into feral mode as his gloves were straining to stay together- Wamu had insisted that after they had finished their shopping, as well as gathered what information they could then he and Arachne would go somewhere private and have a heart to heart.  
  
Later in the woods leading to the Zavriel's home, Arachne had taken the lead and directed Wamu to follow her off the beaten path and into a dark, secluded part of the woods until they reached a small clearing that had only one or two beams of sunlight shining through the trees to provide only a little light. After he crossed his arms and looked around to make sure they weren't followed, the indigo haired gladiator then spoke up to Arachne as she stepped into a part of the clearing that was only barely lit. The fact that Wamu stood in a better lit spot and as a result, ended up shading the area around him and added a few more shadows probably not doing much to help Arachne's visibility- especially since all he could see was her face and upper body.  
  
"Arachne... I know who you really are." he said coldly as he looked her in the eye, "While I appreciate you not revealing my own secret to Master Richard and Miss Zeppeli, I must follow my master's wish to... settle things... before we return. So I ask you to drop your charade, Fairy Godmother, so we may speak... and so I can also thank you for helping my mother win the heart of a prince."  
  
Arachne said nothing at first and only nodded as she closed her eyes for a moment. As the clearing around them then became eerily quiet though, Wamu then watched as Arachne's face and body down to her elbows suddenly became eye level with the large man, while six thin lines appeared on the seamstress's forehead. As she gave a soft smile to the warrior though, Wamu kept his cold gaze on her as she then spoke.  
  
"I thought you seemed familiar." she said as she gave a polite and subtle bow towards the warrior, "Prince Ch-"  
  
" _He_ _died_ alongside his mother, years ago." Wamu said with a growl as he glared at Arachne, " _My name_ , is Wandorian Muselli."  
  
"Cinderella... died?" she then said in shock. "When was this?"  
  
"Twenty-five years ago." Wamu said quietly then-though his rage was still apparent as he clenched a fist and continued, "She called out your name as her murderer stabbed her in the back while I was dragged away in chains. All...all she wanted to do was honor the deal Count Ashford made, and she lost her life because... did you even _know_ the prince you helped her win the heart of was a monster!?"  
  
"No, I did not," Arachne said, looking hurt as she realized what that event may have implied to Wamu about her. "I... I thought I was as thorough with him as all those my godchildren needed help in seeing if the one they love was worth it, and I never even saw a sign of him being a monster as you claim."  
  
_"He killed my mother!"_ Wamu shouted, "That coward refused to honor a deal he made with a traveler who ended a series of problems for the county, and when Mother tried to give the man what he was owed, he killed them both! He also sent me away as a slave just so I couldn't expose his crimes, and this whole time, do you wish to know just what I wondered? What exactly I asked myself, Arachne!?"  
  
"I... I do wish to know..." Arachne said, the news apparently has hit her hard as she didn't know what to think.  
  
_"Why."_ Wamu then said coldly once again for a moment, before his anger became apparent once again. "Why did you not show to save me when mother screamed your name with her last breath!? She begged you to save me... and... and you never came!"  
  
As he continued to speak, his rage, his heartbreak, and all other emotions came out into the open after being locked away for possibly far too long, "I had hoped you'd show up while I was made a slave and a warrior in the coliseum, that you'd arrive to break me free so I could go home and reclaim my rightful place.... but as the years went by, that hope vanished as you never did, and my heart grew colder as I became the Emperor of Bella Aquae's coliseum. I slaughtered my opponents as a Bluebeard would slaughter his wives when he tired of them, my innocence was destroyed, my heart was shattered to pieces and I _had no choice_ but to throw myself into the symphony of steel, hoofbeats, screams, and death that was the life of a Gladiator. When I gave up on you arriving, Arachne? I _savored_ my victories, I _relished_ the screams of my opponents as they fell, and I _loved_ the insanity of battling every day for my next meal, the roars of the crowd and eventually dying to someone better. I _gave up_ on ever being free of the collar I wore on my neck for fifteen years Arachne, of ever going home and of even being _anything more_ than a living weapon to entertain the very people I no longer saw myself as being a part of! Had it not been for Ares Lupo buying me ten years ago, and giving me my freedom in exchange for a paying job as a bodyguard to his two sons, I'd still be there- no longer a man, but _a thing..._ a pillar of death that lived on the blood of others.  
  
"It is thanks to _Master Richard and his late brother_ that I have back _my humanity._ It is thanks to the late _Master Ares_ that I am _free again._ Finally, it is thanks to _the Lupo family as a whole_ that I... that I no longer _desire to kill you_ for not being there when Mother called you, and the years afterward. However... I... I am _still haunted_ by that night and seeing you for the first time in decades... I must know the truth, Arachne! _I must!"_  
  
As Wamu then fell to his knees and broke down in tears, Arachne was silent and unmoving as she looked at the warrior that had been created from the suffering of the poor child that she failed to save- that she never knew was in trouble in the first place.  
  
"I... I'm sorry." Arachne then said as Wamu felt a warm claw on his shoulder- that was also covered in what felt to him like armor. As he raised his head and saw Arachne look at him with all eight of her eyes open and focused on his own two blue ones, he said nothing as she spoke not to the warrior he was now, but the frightened boy he was so long ago. "I never knew Cinderella was in trouble, nor did I know what happened to you. That night, I had been attacked and injured with iron before Marik saved me. I needed time to heal and with the mystic connection between godchild and fairy godparent severed... I never sensed the call. All I knew is that when I fully healed months ago, I realized I couldn't sense your mother's bond to me... and... I feared it was because I couldn't be there for her anymore, that the bond broke on its own. I... I wish I could have saved you now that I know the truth, but... I guess you may not have needed me after all, Wandorian. You've become strong on your own and... when you lost yourself, I see that a new family you had gained was what brought you back."  
  
Wamu said nothing, and simply wept and hugged Arachne tightly while he felt a darkness within his heart finally leave as he forgave Cinderella's fairy godmother at last. As for Arachne, she simply remained silent as she gently smiled a bit and hugged her lost charge's grown son in her arms while the sun shone off the black chitin covering those two limbs while the rest of her body remained in shadow.  
  
"Arachne..." Wamu then said after a little while, "The curse spreading through town, are you or your siblings involved?"  
  
"I am not, and I pray my half-siblings are not as well," Arachne said quietly. "My sting is a paralytic- which I only use on those I find caught in my webs when I cut them down... and also use as mannequins for my creations due to how long it lasts... if I feel they fit the requirements of what I'm designing. I also know that my brother's sting is much deadlier to humans- even if it can paralyze if he wills it, his temper flaring whenever he does use it most of the time tends to make it a painful death if there is no antivenom on hand- and also swift if he strikes the heart or brain. As these girls are living beyond that window as well as having their 'sting' in the same spot... I believe there is another party in play here. Though who or why... I know not."  
  
Wamu said nothing as he thought about the information, before looking towards Arachne as he moved to get up.  
  
"If you wish to keep your identity unknown, for now, I fear that I cannot keep it a secret from Master Richard." Wamu then said, "We best go back to the inn, and let him know everything that's tied to _current events._ I'm willing to keep things related to the past between us, however, if only to let the dead rest."  
  
"I understand. It is best to move on, rather than be the mother who keeps her child from passing on because their burial shroud is still wet with tears." Arachne said before she shifted back to her human form and noticed Wamu's amulet. "Where did you get that?"  
  
"A birthday present, from Master Richard." the gladiator said with a small smile as he took a moment to admire the Heart of Draco around his neck, "It had a mind of its own, apparently, and thought me worthy to wear it... only moments after Master Richard got it back for his family from the Reds."  
  
"I see." Arachne said, "It looks fitting on you."  
  
"Thank you," Wamu said, and on the walk back to the inn, neither of them said a word as they focused on talking with Ricky for a plan of action. Though, as the citizens of Unicorn's Blade noticed when the two were in town this time, it seemed there was much less tension between them.

 

~0~

"Hi Pierre!" the four-year-old minotaur blooded fae Timothy said as he tackled the knight in a hug. Of course, as he also knocked the man down onto the floor- it did signal his arrival to the other 35 Zavriels around or at least the ones that were on the ground floor of the great tree they called home. While the knight was a bit intimidated by the clearly more monstrous members of the family- especially the twins that stayed in the lake due to how big and monstrous they were around strangers- however, he had been told they'd show him their true forms once they had a chance to warm up to him.  
  
At the moment though, he was about to get the youngest of the Zavriel clan off of him- when he got pinned further by the other pre-teens of the family- and while he couldn't yet identify what the fathers were for the other three children that glomped the knight, he could at least make out the feathers on Nemissa, the brown and green fur on Karol (who just so happened to be a boy despite the name, and the fact that he seemed to take more after the father than the mother so it was hard to tell anyway), and the horns on Marcus- the second youngest at 7.  
  
"Yes, yes, it's me!" Pierre then said with a smile as he did his best to hug the four of them- while also hoping that Timothy didn't try to do this when he was older or else he'd break the knight's spine by accident, "It's good to see you as well!"  
  
"Pierre!" Timothy then said as he pushed his siblings off and sat on the knight's chest. "Look! My 'orns are startin' to grow!"  
  
As the knight then saw the little brunette point to his head, he could see the tiny protrusions poking out, and smiled. "I see! You best make sure to be careful when they get longer though, or else you might hurt someone you tackle, ok?"  
  
"Okay, Pierre!" Timothy said, giving the knight another hug as Pierre managed to find a way to get up and hold the four-year-old fae in his arms.  
  
"So, is Renee around?" Pierre then asked, while Timothy nodded and gave a rather cheerful smile- though out of the corner of the knight's eye, he could see Marik poke his head out of the kitchen and simply nod in greeting before getting back to making lunch. As Pierre himself remembered having to cook on occasion for his classmates at the knight academy in Clawthorn's capital city of Roselark, he could sympathize with having to make sure there was enough for everyone in a large group.  
  
"Uh-huh!" Timothy then said, "She's up in her room tinkerin' with somthin'! I can show ya where it is if ya want Pierre!"  
  
"I'd like that Timothy, thank you," Pierre said with a laugh as he set his unexpected guide down on the ground, and held his hand as they walked up the stairs that was lined with doors leading to guest rooms, hallways, and other areas for the great tree. While he knew that there was an area outside where Renee had her forge set up- and also enchanted in a way that it wouldn't set her home on fire, the knight also noted that he had learned a lot about his unexpected fiance the past three days.  
  
On the first day, was that Renee loved to examine clockwork machines, but couldn't touch anything that included iron or else she'd be burned. When he found this out though, he did let her examine his legs when she asked and was surprised she managed to fix a sticking cog near his knee that had been bugging him since the incident that caused it the month before- and even though his mother and sister were great in the field, the way the cog was set up so that more parts were to be removed in order to reset it- only to get it messed up again when they put everything back together had bugged them every time as well. Thankfully, all Renee had to do was reach in with her long, slender fingers on her normal hand and just scrape away a bit of excess silver with her surprisingly sharp nails before adding a bit of oil to lubricate.  
  
The second day, however, revealed that she was also a self-taught blacksmith as she watched the smiths in Unicorn's Blade and other places in her 380 years of life so far and just did her best to imitate their methods as she made herself a forge with Marik's help to try and practice. Sure, she had a lot of failures- as Pierre saw when he looked at Renee's early attempts, but the fact she kept them around as reminders that she wasn't great at first showed Pierre she was pretty humble as well. Though, he had to admit her first success- a copper club that was supposed to have been a sword, but since it she cooled it off too early when she didn't flatten it enough to form an edge- as well as had it still have chunks of the original metal attached along its length, it was still useful to protect herself from a hunter that thought she was killing cattle. As this was before Unicorn's Blade being founded at all, he couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of Renee using her failed sword as what it was meant to be, only to just give up and smack the guy silly as she tried to just defend herself.  
  
As for the day before today, he had learned that Renee also had a pretty good sense of humor- especially as she and Pierre traded snark and friendly barbs for a good hour before they both lost it and laughed rather hard. Though, he did start it by trying to be a proper knight at all times around her, while Renee had only been trying to get him to loosen up a bit and laugh. While she did succeed, he also thought about the negatives he had seen about her so far. While she did have a temper when it came to accidental perversion like when she slapped him when their engagement started, she also had a bit of a complex about making sure she didn't end up becoming either a whore like her mother- especially after her recent marriage, or a docile housewife that wouldn't be able to pursue her own interests because the guy she settled down with thought it was unseemly to be married to a woman blacksmith-especially one who wasn't able to handle iron. Pierre of course, had reassured her that he'd never treat her like either of those things, and he'd be happy with Renee pursuing her interests since they made her happy- and to him, a good marriage involved both spouses to be willing to let each other do what made them happy, while also being sure to rein them in if they were worried about the ones they loved. While she thanked him for being honest with her so far, he also felt like there was something else she was hiding and wondered what it was.  
  
"Hey, Pierre! You okay, Big Brother?" Timothy then said, drawing the knight out of his thoughts as he looked down at the minotaur-fae.  
  
"I'm fine, and I'm not your brother... at least not yet anyway!" Pierre said, before adding that last bit when he saw that the little fae was looking a little unhappy, still the fact that Timothy was the first to call him a brother was a bit heartwarming.  
  
"Well, he was trying to get your attention for a few minutes now." Pierre then heard Renee say, and as he looked towards the hellhound blooded fae he was engaged to, he blushed a bit as he realized that they were at their destination now. Of course, as he was now about to enter her room for the first time, he was also a bit nervous as he stumbled through an apology as he had a good idea about what this normally led to- based on what he overheard at the knight academy while he was focused on his studies anyway.  
  
"Oh uh... s-sorry, I er..." Pierre then said as his face looked as red as a tomato.  
  
"It's fine. We can talk about what had you so distracted inside. Besides, there's... something I want to show you that you might enjoy." Renee said, causing Pierre to gulp as he realized that this might be going where he thought it was.  
  
"Can I see too, sis?" Timothy asked innocently, only for Renee to shake her head.  
  
"Sorry Timmy, but it's my turn to spend time with Pierre, ok?" said his older sister, "But, if he has time tomorrow, I'm sure he wouldn't mind playing with you."  
  
As Timothy then gasped in surprise he then let out a few happy moos as he sung a silly sounding song to himself while heading back downstairs to let the two be alone. Once Renee managed to drag the dumbstruck knight into her room while using her chain to wrap around his arm and pull him in, she then closed the door and after releasing him went over to her bed and pat a spot next to her for him to sit.  
  
"So, you seem a bit tired lately..." she said as the silver mulleted knight sat down in a slump- while she also turned his face to look at hers with the use of her claw while using her more normal hand to trace the bags under his eyes. "Is something bothering you lately? I understand if it's well, about the fact there's suddenly ... us... but, well... don't couples usually try and help each other with a problem?"  
  
"Well, yes... but..." Pierre said before sighing a bit as he decided to just go on and say it. "Work's gotten hectic this week. It seems some of the young women in the village are falling ill to a curse- including a traveler among them, and so far my investigation has turned up nothing! No connections between them other than that stupid sting mark on their shoulders, and I've been pulling late nights to just balance that with visiting you... especially with the fact Sir Fang is coming to town to most likely inspect how I'm doing in a couple of days and well... I just don't know if I'll be able to solve this mystery. I mean, if I can't solve it before he gets here, I could end up losing the position I worked so hard to earn! Or worse, be assigned to the Stonehill Barony and answer to the were-griffin running the place."  
  
"Did... you say they were young women, with a sting mark on their shoulders that fell ill?" Renee asked a little coldly, earning a look of surprise from Pierre when he noticed her eyes were starting to look a bit more beastly now.  
  
" _Ouija_... I mean, well, _yes_ but are you suggesting that it might be connected to Netanel? Because you do not strike me as the type to get jealous of another woman." he then said, while also moving away in case he was about to get himself another slap to the face.  
  
"It's possible my ex is doing this. I mean, I was forced to teach him that spell, so he may be using it to try and frame my brother Marik." Renee said, "Thankfully everyone knows that Marik's venom is a paralytic the rare times he uses it to avoid killing and just something to get rid of something that really pisses him off."  
  
"Indeed. In fact, I crossed the Zavriels off the suspect list immediately because of that." Pierre said, before crossing his arms. "But that traveler I encountered fell ill as soon as I gave her and her party directions to the inn. Also... I swear I saw one of them resemble your sister The Spider Witch."  
  
"Huh, so Arachne's in town already? I thought she'd be here at the end of the week..." Renee said, before shaking her head as she got back on track. "Anyway, if Netanel is behind this, he's most likely got a few toads set up around town that are sitting on nests of hair Netnanel used magic to gather- and left the sting marks as the curse sign to try and frame Marik."  
  
"But why would he do this?"  
  
"Because he's insane, and probably believes Marik enchanted me to try and end the marriage or something." Renee said with a groan, "He's from a mostly dead family of mages back in Spherean that are extra paranoid about the true name urban legend... as well as the mages being well, the kind to try and kill each other out of paranoia and thought magic could be compacted into spell slots, and emotion-fueled magic actually drained that emotion away permanently!"  
  
"True names?" Pierre asked looking confused, "Also, what kind of stupid mage was he to think that? I mean, I'm no magician, but isn't the belief of emotion-fueled magic destroying that particular emotion permanently detrimental to a mage's ability to use it? It's the simplest and basic of all magics, so why would it be... well, destructive to the user?"  
  
"Who knows? It's silly and Netanel wouldn't even listen when I corrected him, or if he did, completely misinterpret what I was saying." Renee said, "Anyway, the true names thing is due to the belief that everything has a secret name that if you say, you can control them. Truth is? It's a load of crap that some assholes started spreading for shits and giggles when I was one hundred years old."  
  
"I guess even Spherean, where it's said everyone is intelligent enough to understand the complexities of more advanced magic as a child, can have its complete morons." Pierre then said with a dry laugh, "In any case, is there a way to break the curse?"  
  
"Of course." Renee said with a smile, "Marik was the one to teach me the curse, and I never did tell Netanel the counter to it... mainly because he'd probably fuck it up somehow as he experimented with other ways to use the curse, but if we go talk to him after lunch, we could convince him to make it for you, and you just go around town pouring it on the toads and it'll be broken! I mean, it's nonlethal in the first place, but I'm still glad you told me in the first place... because well... it's sweet that you're letting me help."  
  
"I'm glad you're happy but..." Pierre said, looking rather concerned now, "Aren't you worried that this might force me to explain where I got the potion, and how I knew what to look for as well as... us?"  
  
"Oh right... Marik's curse on what happens if you tell before the week's over." Renee said with a groan as she ran her claw through her long white hair before she smiled as she got an idea. "Well, how about you explain it this way? You were spending the last three days consulting Marik about what was going on, and if he works with us, he can support it and paint what's really been going on as time spent making the potion- it really takes an hour, but your the first human to know that."  
  
"Renee, a knight must be honest as part of the code of Chivalry," Pierre said, looking rather serious before he gave a small smile, "however... as my sister's at stake if I speak of our relationship by the end of this week, I must admit that there are times the code must be set aside to protect those a knight loves. Thank you, Renee, I truly mean it."  
  
With that said, Pierre then pecked Renee on the cheek, making her flinch in surprise, before he then added, "Shall we go speak with Marik now?"  
  
"Uh... let's take a chance to relax first, my brother does not like being disturbed when he's cooking." Renee said, "Besides, even if we do cure everyone, we might not be able to lure Netanel out that easily."  
  
"That is true..." Pierre said, "However if he even thinks of going near my little sister with his current plan? He's going to wish that I do not kill him for it."  
  
"If I knew you weren't serious, I'd say your impression of my brother Marik is getting better," Renee said dryly before there was an awkward silence between the two. As Pierre looked around the room while trying to figure out something to talk about, he noticed that besides the weapon sketches on the walls, there was a shelf covered in fae-friendly materials such as gold, silver, mithril, adamantine and even the deep purple, crystalline Amecite. While he wondered where she managed to get such a large chunk of the rare material, he decided to save that for later- just in case it was meant to be a fae only secret. After all, knowing where to find the crystal that could be forged into mystical, magic resistant and extremely low maintenance armor and weapons could make a human person very rich. Of course, it would also cut down on the value and historical importance of legendary gear such as the armor and weapons belonging to the Original Rose Knight along with the gear of the Crystal and Epic Knights among the Seven Soldiers of Fortune, as well as legendary blades like the very sword his hometown was named for.  
  
"So... when we met, you were singing a song I hadn't heard since I was a boy," Pierre said, admiring the rather simple but elegant furniture in Renee's room- as well as the wardrobe in the corner. "Where exactly did you hear it, and learn the lyrics?"  
  
"Oh! That was what I was going to show you!" Renee then said, rushing over to her desk, and after opening a drawer, pulled out a beautiful music box made of silver, oak, and porcelain, with flowers sculpted onto the corners, the sides depicting a knight riding off to battle while his beloved stayed home and waited for his return, while the currently closed lid had a painting of the knight and his beloved holding each other close as they wept tears of joy upon their reunion.  
  
"I found it about fourteen years ago in pieces, and well, since this armored knight was carrying a kid and a man away, I had to wait until he was gone before I could go and gather as much of the pieces as I could, starting with the lid that had the lyrics painted on the inside," Renee said as she blushed a bit. "I'll admit, it was a bit difficult to restore it as much as I could since there were some pieces that I had to replace completely, and also remove the iron bits so I could work on it at all- thank the gods for gloves, but I think I managed to get it done today!"  
  
Pierre, recognizing the music box as the one he saw destroyed when he lost his legs was stunned into silence as he slowly and nervously opened the music box- holding his breath in anticipation before he heard it play. As he heard the music, and read the lyrics he recognized it as the same song he heard as a boy, whether by his mother singing it to him before bed, or just listening to the music and doing his best to sing along as well. While the song itself was a story about a loving couple who had to spend time apart due to a battle with an army of darkness- the knight just fighting to survive so he could return to his dear wife, and the woman he loved having her side of the story revealed as her dealing with the worry of her husband possibly never coming back, and fighting off the attempts of another man trying to remarry her when the battle was done and the knight had not yet returned home. As it turned out that the knight got separated from his squadron, and had to journey alone for a couple of years before finally coming home, the woman he loved remained ever loyal, even when the suitor tried to force her to marry him... only for the knight to return in time and stop him.  
  
According to his mother, it was based on an old legend from Golemia- even before King Jumping Jack Flash the First and Only became king and started the clockwork revolution in the cold, northern kingdom that made the Kingdom famous today. While Pierre wondered what happened to the couple after they reunited, and if their descendants lived on even today, he knew that some questions didn't really have a clear answer and so just let it be.  
  
"Pierre?" Renee then said as the knight then looked towards her, "Are you alright? You're crying."  
  
Raising a hand to his cheek and pulling it away to see that he had tears rolling down his cheeks, he then smiled as he closed the music box and set it aside, before hugging Renee gently.  
  
"Thank you." he whispered, "This... this means quite a lot to me, Renee... I thought it was lost forever after the accident and... I'm glad to be proven wrong today."  
  
Renee's eyes widened as she pulled back before she spoke. "Wait, you were the boy being carried away that day? I... really didn't realize it was you! I mean, your hair's no longer blond, and you certainly lost the buck teeth you had then."  
  
"Well... I guess that's understandable, I mean, I bet you look a lot different now than you did as a child, right?" Pierre said, and when Renee nodded he just placed a hand on top of her more normal left one as they sat together on the bed for the moment.  
  
"So... what happened that day?" Renee asked, "As I said, I came along as you were being carried off with that other man who looked like he had a chunk taken out of him... but, if you don't wish to talk about it, I'll understand."  
  
"No, it's fine." Pierre said quietly, "If we are to become husband and wife... it just wouldn't be right to keep secrets from you."  
  
As he then looked a bit heartbroken as he looked towards the floor. "I was only eight years old at the time, and had run off into the woods..."

**********

Young Pierre was angry. While he'd mellow out more when he was older, at the time, he had to deal with the fact his father was barely there while working as a knight, and while the man had normally attempted to make even a little bit of time for Pierre, his mother and his new baby sister, the fact that lately Hans had been putting his work before his family had caused the anger that had slowly grown in the boy to finally burst out as he called his father out for breaking the promise he made about Pierre and his father heading out that night to watch a meteor shower that only came once every 25 years. Before his father could explain though, Pierre had ran off with the music box he treasured so much then- the blond, buck-toothed boy not even wanting to listen as his father called out for him to come back.  
  
As he ran into the woods, he failed to pay attention to where he was going, and before he knew it, he had gotten lost. As he started to become afraid as he stepped into a clearing and sat down to rest, he then set the music box down infront of him, to just try and calm down as he waited for either someone to find him, or until he fell asleep- whichever happened first.  
  
Unfortunately, at the time, he never knew that the reason his father had been so busy was because of a monster having been sighted in the woods lately and that the man was working as hard as he could to find it and take it down just to keep his family safe. So, when Pierre heard a noise nearby, he immediately closed the music box and looked around. Unfortunately for him, he ended up looking right at a horrible monster with fangs like a lion, strange, brightly colored markings on its face and eyes, and a body that seemed to be made of smoke. It didn't notice him at first, however, when he screamed the beast had turned to look right at him, grinning as it ran right towards him- and as Pierre couldn't defend himself, ended up closing his eyes as he braced himself for death as he felt the monster lift him up and bite off his legs.  
  
_"LET HIM GO!"_  
  
Those words were the last he heard before he blacked out.

**********

When I came to, I had learned that my father had found me before I was killed, and managed to destroy the monster with Silchariot's help... however, he had lost part of his body as well in the process, and would have died had uncle Voltan not been around with Dr. Vitaliskaya- Silchariot's sister, in a sense." Pierre said, before clenching his fist and trembling with anger. "Had I just stayed at home and listened, then... then maybe I wouldn't have caused me or my father to end up as part clockwork mons---"  
  
_WHAP!  
_  
"Don't you dare call yourself, or your dad a monster!" Renee then said, while Pierre looked at her in surprise while he also rubbed the back of his head where she struck him with the back of her clawed hand, "Trust me, my mom screws them whenever she gets distracted a bit while searching for my brother Marduk- who I haven't even _met_ and ends up with half-breeds like me! You and me? We aren't monsters, Pierre, we're people. Sure, we've got some things normal humans or fae don't have like your clockwork legs and my claw, and in the past 250 years, the people of Unicorn's Blade hasn't treated us any less because of our differences. I know not all of Fanterra will feel the same, but you do not need to go around feeling like shit because of something you didn't even know would happen. Okay?"  
  
"But..." Pierre said, "It was my fault for running off and getting into that situation in the first place."  
  
"You were eight. Kids do stupid things sometimes, and so do adults." Renee said, "Besides, that monster was probably going to leave you alone if you hadn't screamed. Anyway, what matters now is that you're here, alive, and well... you shouldn't beat yourself up over it, ok?"  
  
"Alright." Pierre said with a small smile, before deciding to change the subject a bit, "So... why did you decide to restore the music box?"  
  
"W-Well..." Renee said, hesitating a bit as she explained, "It looked like it was a beautiful piece of work when it was intact, and I couldn't just let it remain destroyed and lost, you know? Plus... it gave me something to do when I was running low on ideas on what to make in my forge..."  
  
The hellhound faerie then reached around Pierre and picked up the music box, before holding it out to him. "Anyway, since it belongs to your family... you should have it back."  
  
Pierre placed his hands on the music box, and for a moment, seemed like he was indeed going to take it back. However, as he noticed that Renee seemed a bit sad to let something she spent years restoring go so easily, he instead smiled and pushed it back towards her.  
  
"You keep it." he said, and before Renee could ask when he saw how surprised she was, he then continued, "You worked hard to restore it, and you definitely succeeded, and... well, as things stand right now, I... I may consider you family as well by the end of the week."  
  
"Thank you," Renee said, setting the music box down on her bed once again, before moving a little closer to the silver-mulleted knight. Of course, as she ended up wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in for a kiss, Pierre ended up being caught off guard as the peck on the cheek he gave her before, was answered with a kiss on the lips for him. However, once the surprise passed, he then closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the tender moment for as long as he could.

~0~

Back at the inn where Team Zeppeli was staying, while Wamu and Arachne were still out in town, Ricky Lupo sat by Veronica's bed, his hair a mess, his tie hanging loosely around his neck and his shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. While he still had his pants on, the way his vest hung loosely off the back of the chair he was in his jacket was hanging off one of the posts on Veronica's bed and the Wind stone was currently pinned through the collar of his shirt. All in all, the past three days had been stressful for the wolf, and while he wrung his bare hands in worry, he wondered if Veronica was even going to make it. After all, ever since he realized that not only were the fae involved but also that Veronica was pretty much going to be the bride of one, he had to set aside his hunt for his brother's murderer as he had taken it upon himself to keep Veronica safe until they found her future husband, Ethereas Ghostwing, or else suffer the consequence if he didn't.  
  
Risking the wrath of a fae if she was killed before then, was just not something Ricky wanted on his good conscience. Especially since letting someone from a completely different world, wander Fanterra on their own without any idea of how things work and getting into who knows how much trouble was extremely irresponsible.  
  
When he heard a groan coming from the bed, however, Ricky then looked up and smiled as he saw Veronica wake up. However, she was still suffering from the curse, so he knew she wouldn't be awake long.  
  
"Hey, Veze." Ricky said with a small smile, "How's Ethereas doing?"  
  
"He's worried about the frequent visits the past three days," the silver-haired girl then said weakly, "but, since I'm not dying according to him, he's sure things will be okay... though, I was about to tell him about what the curse is doing to me when I woke up this time."  
  
"Well, he's got a right to worry, since you and he are apparently engaged. If I was in his shoes? I'd probably worry about my girl too if she wasn't well because of a curse or poison or something." Ricky then said, just trying to keep the mood light despite the current situation. "Just, keep hanging on, alright? When Wamu and Arachne get back, I'm gonna head out and see what I can dig up, ok?"  
  
"Alright." Veze said with a smile, "And... sorry I'm kind of a burden right now."  
  
"You ain't a burden." Ricky then said sternly before gently adding,"You've just got hit with some bad luck this time, that's all. It happens to all of us."  
  
"Thanks," Veronica said as she yawned a bit and closed her eyes. "Guess I'll be heading back in."  
  
"Rest well Veze, and give Faerieboy my regards," Ricky said as Veronica fell back asleep. As her current status kept her from sleepwalking like she normally attempted to while they made camp during their journey so far, Ricky didn't feel the need to keep her on the bed the past three days. However, once he was sure she wasn't going to wake back up soon, he then got up and looked out the window while his fingers started to get a bit more beastly as his nails grew into claws.  
  
_"Veze, I swear when I find the bastard responsible for this? I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll send a damn hurricane after his ass!"_  
  
With this oath in mind, Ricky Lupo was going to show why no one pissed off the Big Bad Wolf and got away with it- especially if some idiot caused some trouble for those that Big Bad Wolf cared about.

~0~

Elsewhere, Netanel was grinning at the shrine he had set up for Renee Zavriel- a painting of "his" former wife, a lock of her hair and other things of hers he had managed to get during their month together as well as a wedding dress she would have worn had that bastard Marik not interfered. Sure, it was rather low-cut, and revealing in some places while also intended for a woman with more curves to her, but had the ceremony not been interrupted, Renee would have been molded to fit it just fine.  
  
"Don't worry my lovely Renee," he said as he traced the painting's face tenderly, "We'll be together again soon... and no stupid looking knight or scorpion-tailed freak is going to keep us apart. I don't know what sort of curse your brother used on me, but once I've had a chance to study it, take it apart and so much more... I'll be able to undo it myself... and then all will be as it should..."  
  
He never thought once that he may have been the reason that Renee left him when Marik and Van Halen attacked and took her away, that she was unhappy and wanted to be free of his twisted view of what love meant. No, he instead believed that Marik did something to Renee, to make her think she was unhappy, to betray him and remove the rings they had on their fingers when he caught her. However, his attempt to catch her again had failed due to that knight getting in the way. He never intended to hurt Renee, just make it easier for himself to reinstate their marriage.  
  
Little did Netanel know, that once a marriage with a fae ends, there were no take backs.  
  
As the wizard then summoned a tiny fireball to his hand, he then looked at a pair of doodles on the wall- one a very crude and insulting one of Marik, while the other of that knight who got in his way- though with the hair too long, the nose too big and with stupid looking teeth added as well.  
  
"Marik, for what you did to me... and to my happiness... I'll make you suffer... THIS! I SWEAR!" he said, before blasting the doodle of the manticore-fae apart, before turning towards the one of that damned knight, "As for you, Sir Idiotic Hair, I'm already working on making you pay..."  
  
Another blast of power and the effigy of the local hero of Unicorn's Blade was nothing but ash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter comes from the Johnny Cash Song, "A Boy Named Sue."
> 
> Jojo's Bizarre Alternates cameos in this chapter include:  
> 1\. Bandit Leader who tried to rob Sue= Joshu Higashikata from Jojolion. As this was originally posted on the Space Battles forums back on 12/9/2016, I believe this was before he got character development in the Jojolion Magna. However, if there are still fans of the series that hate Joshu... well, let's just say that Sue is the kind of guy to keep his word.
> 
> 2\. Danny, Johnathan Joestar's pet Dog= Danny the Dragon. Because Reasons.
> 
> Other tidbits:  
> Well, for starters, Bowie's new cane and what the handle looks like is more of a "Why not?" thing and has nothing whatsoever to do with the joke Arcana known as "The Happy Squirrel."
> 
> Also, while Pierre and Renee are bonding and growing closer, Wamu pretty much revealed that he used to be a prince. Until his dad decided to be a dick. Hell, while writing that convo he had with Arachne... I teared up a couple of times, let me tell ya. In fact, after writing that, I felt I needed to ease the tension a bit with something adorable, and so ended up throwing in Timothy Zavriel being adorable as hell.
> 
> Also, I really hope the kid acted like a four year old during his screen time.
> 
> I also admit to enjoying writing the fluff between Pierre and Renee, and I also hope that it's not too over the top and cavity inducing.
> 
> Now, I know Ricky's scene had shippy vibes between him and Veronica, but in all honesty, he's got a girl back in Bella Aquae, he ain't going to be hooking up with someone he views as a friend while on the road. 
> 
> Finally, Netanel's scene was meant to show how unhinged he is now. Also, Renee's comments about him and his views on magic were meant to be a jab at how some people might think that no matter what universe, Magic must work in a certain way, and also hate being corrected by/don't even listen to someone who actually knows more about a certain setting's mechanics than they do. Along with the view that "No matter what universe you're in, magic has a price- even if it makes no sense." 
> 
> To be honest, when it came to how magic works in Fanterra, I just borrowed a few things from Robert Lynn Aspirin's Myth Adventures series, such as Magic being easy to learn, it's just made to look hard via showmanship, and added my own ideas into the mix as well. There's no price to pay, and magic is just... there.
> 
> Anyway, Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: Jotaro sees a familiar face, specifically, the face of a certain bastard he will just "Love" to punch all over again!


	11. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sue asks Team Jojo a favor in return for his watching their unicorns, however, when Jotaro and Joseph see a familiar face... things don't go so well.

Outside the town of Thornsborough's northern gate, was the remains of a one-sided battle. Thugs that were either dead or unconscious were scattered about, while their leader- a man with a very, very stupid haircut was just barely alive as their would-be victim- a large wolf based bestial elf picked up the nearly dead moron by the head, and growled at him.  
  
"Now, I'm going to make this very, very clear..." the wolf, Sue, then said, "I'm sick and tired of you and your followers coming here, attacking a noble's unicorns to try and steal them, and more importantly, insulting my wife Maria. Now, what _you_ said right before you attacked was the last straw, and while normally I'd let you go... I'm not going to this time. Have fun in hell."  
  
With that said, the wolf then crushed the thug's head like a grape, before dropping what was left and wiping his clawed hand on the grass as it turned back to a more human one, as did his feet return from a hybrid between wolf and human to just plain human ones. Once he was back to normal- or as close to normal as one could get for a Bestial elf anyway, Sue then sat back down on his rock, set his hammer down and looked towards the group of travelers before speaking.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that." the wolf said, "They've been tryin' to get those unicorns for days. Now, while the stag here said the unicorns belonged to you, I still need to know if any of you lot is of the Almandine family. Their crest is on the harnesses after all."  
  
"I'm Irene Almandine." the blond gem witch then said, "My companions are Pietro Aifread, Joseph Joestar, Jotaro Kujo, Alphonse the alphyn and... Jotaro's familiar, Star Platinum. Thank you for taking care of my unicorns, I didn't even realize that managed to get this far when they ran off after the accident."  
  
"My name is Sue Cortez, Thornsborough's blacksmith." the wolf then said with a nod, "Now, since you've admitted these unicorns of yours, and since I've guarded them day and night for three days... I believe this means you owe me a favor."  
  
"Now hol-" Joseph said before Irene interrupted him, while Jotaro just kept his mouth shut.  
  
"What would you like from us to repay you?" she asked, though she did seem a bit nervous about what this wolf would ask for.  
  
"I need you to find and protect the new Apothecary in town, Carmen Wood." Sue said, "The local mage has been trying to get her to sleep with him since she showed up- and with the way she keeps throwing him out of her family's shop since they first met, my wife and I are worried he might try and put her in a bad situation just to fake a rescue and try and get his idea of a 'hero's reward.' Damn scumbag... he can't seem to take a hint- even when he tried this bullshit on my own wife!"  
  
_"Well, we're here to find Carmen to ask about Koriander the Slayer, and this guy wants us to find and protect her from a piece of shit."_ Jotaro thought to himself while Pietro just tried to calm Sue down, noting the coincidence was pretty strange.  
  
"So, what's in it for us if we help out?" Joseph then asked, most likely finding the deal a bit suspicious.  
  
"Well, for starters you get your unicorns back and a new carriage for free." Sue said bluntly, "Not to mention the more important matter of having one less debt to repay before you're dead and buried."  
  
_"Okay, the debt thing can't be this serious, can it?"_ Joseph thought to himself as he seemed a bit annoyed, while Irene spoke up once again.  
  
"We accept your terms, Sue." she said with a polite bow, "Thank you very much."  
  
"Not a problem." Sue said with a smile, "Going to miss the unicorns though, I may not be a virgin, but... they seem to like me for some reason."  
  
_"Probably the name."_ Joseph then thought and as much as he wanted to say it out loud, after seeing what an insult about the man's wife caused, he'd rather not make fun of the man for his name in case it brought about a worse fate for him. He didn't want to die again after all.  
  
"Um, pardon me, Sue," Pietro then said a bit nervously, "But, can you tell us where to find Carmen so we can let her know what's going on?"  
  
"Hmm... considering it's late afternoon, she's probably on the road behind her shop that leads to Mt. Silvas, gathering supplies and ingredients for her wares." Sue then said, "You can find it at the other end of town."  
  
"Thank you," Pietro said before Star Platinum set the trunk down next to Sue, and after silently indicating it needed a break as it vanished, left one more thing for the wolf to protect while the group went on to take care of his request.

 

~0~

In the dream-palace controlled by Ethereas Ghostwing, Veronica Zeppeli had just returned from briefly waking back up while resting as much as possible as she suffered from the illness caused by a curse she was under for the past three days. While the silver-haired girl now wore a simple and elegant blue and white gown, she also didn't have the mask she wore that first dream she had involving her mysterious faerie prince... well, the first dream she had after arriving in Fanterra.  
  
After all, from what she could tell after Jotaro showed up that first time, and her very first dream about "Ethereas" on Earth when he was known as Kakyoin, she wasn't sure if the two men were really the same guy or just two separate versions of the man that had been fused together somehow. As she hadn't even asked about the dual identity, however, she had yet to get any answers about it as well, mainly out of fear for what might happen if she did.  
  
"Welcome back." Ethereas then said calmly as he leaned against a balcony, the sunlight shining outside the rose-tree formed palace making the scene look rather nice- especially as he wore a simple, pale green shirt with darker green pants and brown shoes, while his wings were flattened against his back to resemble a cape. However, he still wore the mask he had on when they first met, and so Veronica had to rely on his eyes to tell what he might have been feeling.  
  
"Sorry about the brief interruption," Veronica said as she moved closer to Ethereas and stood next to him on the balcony, and seeing the ruins of a manor on the ground below. "Also, Ricky says hello."  
  
"You know, I'm still worried about why you're visiting rather frequently these past few days." Ethereas then said, "Will you be able to tell me what's going on at the moment?"  
  
"Yeah." Veronica said as she placed a hand on top of his, "I got hit with a curse three days ago, and since you said I wasn't dying, I'm kind of relieved it's not deadly."  
  
"So, it's an illness then?" Ethereas said, "If it was a sleeping curse, you wouldn't be able to come here and visit... I think. My memory on magic is still hazy."  
  
"That's alright." Veronica said with a brief chuckle, "But yeah, it is an illness- and since I'm having trouble breathing, I can't use hamon to fight back."  
  
"That... sounds familiar..." Ethereas said as he then crossed his arms to think, before looking towards Veronica, "Can you tell me more about the symptoms?"  
  
"Well, fever, coughing fits, feeling like I can't move..." Veronica said, "And while it doesn't show up here in the dream world when I'm awake, my shoulder has a mark on it that looks like I was stung by something."  
  
"Yes, that definitely sounds familiar..." Ethereas said, sounding very concerned, "Veronica, may I see your shoulder for a moment? I would like to see if I can confirm if this is a curse, and not just an illness caused by an actual insect."  
  
"Um, alright..." Veronica said, pulling her dress away enough to expose her right shoulder. As Ethereas then stepped a little closer to her, he closed his eyes- causing Veronica to notice he seemed to have scars going down them, and placed a bare hand on her skin and focused. As his wings then spread outward while he glowed with a green aura, Veronica could feel the magic that went from him to her wound was cool like an icepack she'd use for a headache, or placed over a wet paper towel that had some baking soda on it to try and draw out venom from a wasp sting. As Ethereas started mumbling something in a language the girl couldn't really understand though, she felt a chill go down her spine as she tried not to flinch as the magic intensified.  
  
Ethereas then opened his eyes and ceased the spell. Once he removed his hand, however, both he and Veronica could see that there was a black mark there that seemed to look like a square, rigid spiral that was cut into a grid.  
  
"What is that?" Veronica asked, looking concerned as the mark started to pulse a bit.  
  
"The curse apparently." Ethereas said, "Though, the symbol left behind is... nothing I've seen before."  
  
"And that means?" Veronica asked, still confused as Ethereas sighed.  
  
"When it comes to curses and enchantments, the symbol left behind- while unseen most of the time, is dependent on the caster- think of it as a signature." Ethereas said, "The person I vaguely remember as the creator of the curse had a grinning horned imp as their symbol, however, this one... I don't recognize. And it's too... rigid to be a fae's, so how a fae-created curse could leave a seal like this behind is confusing."  
  
"Maybe it was a human or something?" Veronica suggested, "It kind of reminds me of a grid used when some guys at my old high school played a game called Dungeons and Dragons. I didn't play with them though, but I did walk in on their game once after school... after I er... accidentally used Hamon to trip up the football team during practice."  
  
"Possibly..." Ethereas said, before blinking and looking at Veronica in surprise. "How did you pull _that_ off?"  
  
"I got pushed to the ground by one of my classmates while I was doing a breathing exercise and walking to the school parking lot, my hand hit the grass and uh... ended up causing it to just grab the football team's feet and cause them to trip and fall on top of each other. Like a trail of dominos." Veronica said blushing a bit out of embarrassment before getting back to the current issue at hand, "So, is there a way to break this curse?"  
  
"If I wasn't asleep elsewhere in Fanterra, I'd use my magic to overpower the curse- all I can do in this dream world, however, is all minor magic, I think. However, hopefully, someone knows how to brew a certain potion for the counter curse, and is seeking out a toad with a nest made from your hair. Simply Get rid of the toad and nest, and you should be alright." Ethereas said, giving Veronica a hug to try and reassure her.  
  
"I hope so." Veronica said with a smile, "But, until then... is there anything else we can talk about for now?"  
  
"Hmm... I did remember more about myself thanks to this conversation- specifically a time when a friend and I conned an emperor into walking around nude." Ethereas said slyly.  
  
"Oh, I've read that story!" Veronica said, "The Emperor's New Clothes, though I didn't know the two con artists were faeries."  
  
"Oh, there were three of us actually." Ethereas said with a chuckle, "Myself and my friend... Marduk, I think? Yes, that sounds about right. I and Marduk were the ones who decided to teach the man a lesson about trusting everyone, and came up with the story we used to set our plan in the story into motion."  
  
"Who was the third?" Veronica then asked, before noticing a small crack on Ethereas' mask. However, she thought it was only a trick of the light for now, and said nothing about it.  
  
"Marduk's younger brother- well, half-brother anyway, Marik. He had to disguise himself as a human boy and when the emperor walked by in nothing but the crown on his head, his job was to call out this fact. Sure, Marduk and I were hanged when we didn't get out of town fast enough, but as they never figured out we were fae, we survived- thank the gods we're tough to kill when Iron is unavailable. Though, Marik got a medal out of it... I wonder if he still has it?" Ethereas said, while Veronica just gave a nervous laugh about the prince's punishment.  
  
"I er... I'm kind of glad you survived..." she said, getting the man's attention then as he looked towards her in concern.  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked, while Veronica let out a sigh this time.  
  
"Just... not too fond of death. I already told you about my relatives and how they sacrificed themselves." Veronica said as she rubbed her arm a bit.  
  
"Sorry..." Ethereas then said as another crack appeared in his mask. "However, is something else bothering you?"  
  
"Well, there's no avoiding the subject further..." she then said, "Do you remember when we first met, and Jotaro showed up before I woke up?"  
  
"Well, yes." Ethereas said, "He called me Kakyoin... and he seemed very familiar to me as well but I don't know why, especially since I can't remember what I was saying to him when he was waking up as well. I assume this has something to do with what's bothering you?"  
  
Veronica then gave a nod and looked towards the floor, a sad look on her face as she decided to just tell the faerie what she learned while she was awake. While she avoided the subject until now, she felt that if she wanted to figure out just who this fae was exactly, then it was best to just talk about it now instead of later on.  
  
"Before I came to Fanterra, I... had a dream about a man in green dying as he had a hole in his stomach." she then said, "Then that thing grabbed me, and brought me here and it wasn't until I started traveling that I learned more from Jotaro and his grandfather Joseph. Apparently, the man I saw in my dream, was you, Ethereas, though they called you- or at least the guy who looked like you in my world, Noriyaki Kakyoin. He died facing someone named DIO, and... he had the ability to summon something that looked a lot like the thing that brought me here."  
  
As Veronica did her best to keep a brave face as she explained, it was clear that she was afraid of what would happen as Ethereas listened to her and seemed to grow a bit lost in his own thoughts.  
  
"That's...right..." he said as his mask cracked further, "On that world, I went by Kakyoin. I... I was used by DIO to try and kill Jotaro, and because of that, I joined him to take down that monster and save Jotaro's mother, Holy. Jotaro removed the flesh bud that was in my body, controlling me as that monster's puppet, and I... I did my best to help him, and all my friends on that journey. I started feeling close to them, and when the final battle came, I faced down DIO alone, figured out his stand could stop time... and... and I died."  
  
As he spoke, the sky overhead became cloudy and gray, looking as if it would rain as he went inside the palace. As Veronica followed though, she saw a bit of stone on the ground and picked it up. When she saw that it had rose petals painted on it, she then realized that it was part of his mask that had fallen away, before deciding to move closer to the prince who apparently lived two lives.  
  
"Ethereas... Kakyoin?" Veronica said, not sure which name to actually use, "Are... are you alright?"  
  
As he turned to face her then, she was surprised to see a part of his true face underneath- specifically, the chin and lower lip. While it was rather surprising to see, the way he frowned caused her to worry as she cautiously stepped closer- only to stop when he spoke again.  
  
"I... don't know." he then said, looking and sounding unsure of himself or anything else, "I feel like I have a better idea of who I am, yet at the same time, I feel more confused and afraid than before. I remember being Kakyoin completely, about my... his? stand, Hierophant Green, how he died, and how alone he was until he met Jotaro- his first actual friend. Yet my own life, as Ethereas Ghostwing is coming back in bits and pieces while talking with you. I don't know if it was because I was human in the world I was Kakyoin, or how recent the death was while my original life was... sealed... I think? away, but the more I remember about both my lives... the more afraid I become about what happens when I remember both. Will I be Ethereas? Will I be Kakyoin? Will I be able to return to that world, to Kakyoin's family despite having died at seventeen, or stay here and reconnect with my older brother Spectralis? I don't know how long I've been gone, Veronica... how much Fanterra has changed, and... and I'm _afraid."_  
  
Veronica said nothing, simply hugging the frightened fae tightly as she did her best to comfort him while he hugged her back.  
  
"I promise, Ethereas, Kakyoin, whichever you choose to be... I'll stay by your side." Veronica said while watching as Hierophant Green materialized into the room behind its user- studying the girl with the same face as the thing that kidnapped her in the first place. "You may be a couple of years younger than me back on Earth, but I'm starting to like you, a lot. Because of that I... well... I want to try and be your friend too, at least. Sure, the stone around my neck, and set into your broken mask might signify we're married in Faerie terms, but if it doesn't work out, I still want to support you, however, I can. Hell, if I find you before meeting with Jotaro's group in Appledale, we can wait there to see him, together, and maybe he can help too... even if he is hard to read as a person."  
  
"Yes, he certainly is," he said with a small smile, before pulling back in surprise. "Did... you just say my mask is _broken?"_  
  
"Well, yeah." Veronica said plainly, "It's not much, but I can at least see you when you smile... a little bit at least. Better than not at all."  
  
"Perhaps helping to resolve who I am, will remove it completely?" the pink haired fae said, sounding hopeful for now.  
  
"Well, we won't know for sure, and until I'm uncursed... we have plenty of time to get to know each other as well, right?" Veronica said as she did her best to keep looking on the bright side.  
  
"Right." Ethereas then said as he relaxed a bit before standing up straight and stretching his wings out a bit, "So, where shall we begin?"

 

~0~

Meanwhile, in Thornsborough, Jotaro, Joseph, and their group were simply walking through the quiet town, the locals just looking up at them now and then before going back to their business. Sure, some of them would comment on what the Joestars wore, but as Thornsborough was, in fact, a border town, it made sense for the locals to see travelers in weird clothes every now and then.  
  
Unfortunately, the peace as the group made their way to Carmen Wood's shop was destroyed as up ahead they saw a man with shoulder length black hair that fanned out a bit, a gaudy looking gray, pink and purple robe, and finally a neatly trimmed goatee that was currently harassing a woman with brown hair, a wolf's tail and wearing leather pants with a white shirt and brown vest, a bow slung over her shoulder and a figure that caused Joseph to actually get distracted a bit as he ended up nearly tripping over Alphonse.  
  
"Oh, it's Sue's wife, Maria." Pietro then said, pointing towards the woman as she growled angrily at the man.  
  
"How do you know that?" Joseph asked, while Pietro merely gave a nervous chuckle.  
  
"I saw their wedding the day I met Ricky about a decade ago." Pietro said with a smile, before looking back at the scene ahead, "Though, I don't recognize that man."  
  
"I do." Irene said in disgust as she watched the man move out of the way of a punch from Maria, "That's Tyler Williamson, a mage from Spherean."  
  
"How bad a sleaze?" Joseph asked as he recollected himself and thought the mage looked familiar somehow.  
  
"Total. Manwhore." Irene said bluntly as Jotaro glared daggers at the mage, "From what I recall, he's the type to sleep with as many women as he can, probably has a few bastards running around by now... among other things. I'm really not surprised he's still at it."  
  
While she and Pietro failed to notice that Joseph seemed to grow a bit uncomfortable at the mention of bastards, as they drew closer to the confrontation between Maria and the sleazy mage both Joseph and Jotaro got a very good look at the mage's face as he spoke up.  
  
"Oh come on, Maria." he said, "It'll just be one little, quick excursion while your husband is off guarding some unicorns... he won't kn---"  
  
Thankfully, Jotaro stepped in to punch the guy, and send him to the ground before the guy could finish.  
  
"Who the _fuck_ are you!?" Tyler then said as he readjusted his jaw a bit and looked up at the man who punched him... before spotting Irene next to him. "Oh. Crap."  
  
"So, this is where you ran off to hide two years ago, huh Tyler?" Irene said in disgust towards the man, "And still up to your old tricks too! I can't believe you're trying this crap on a married woman this time as well!"  
  
While Jotaro seemed to notice that Tyler flinched and glanced to the side for a moment, the stoic teen said nothing as the mage then got up and dusted himself off.  
  
"This isn't... oh forget it, none of you would believe me anyway!" Tyler said in annoyance before attempting to move around the group, "So, I'm just gonna go home, and forget this moment ever happened, ok?"  
  
"Don't think so," Jotaro said, grabbing Tyler's shoulder and forcing the mage to look him in the eye. "From what I can see, you're nothing but a scumbag trying to cause trouble."  
  
"Scu- Who the hell do you think you are, trying to judge some guy you don't even know!?" Tyler snapped, only to see the badge on Jotaro's coat with the White Family Crest. "Oh, Godsdammit... Knights. Fucking Knights. Great. Now, this is even _more_ complicated..."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Irene said while giving Tyler the evil eye. However, when Tyler refused to speak, Jotaro simply punched the man in the gut as hard as he could.  
  
"None of your damn business, Irene." Tyler said after coughing a bit and getting his breath back, "Not like you're _forced_ to act as people see you. What the hell are you even doing out here anyway, Irene? Don't you have your betrothed waiting to marry you?"  
  
"None of your damn business, Tyler." Irene said, turning his answer right back on him, "Now, what the hell are you up to, besides trying to sleep with a married woman?"  
  
"I wasn't trying to..." Tyler said, before stiffening a bit and letting out a frustrated groan, before gritting his teeth and continuing, "I was _hoping_ Maria could help me look into something on Mt. Silvas. See, I want to find out what happened to cause my pet hare to get lost while fetching ingredients, and since I still don't know my way around the mountain, I figured she could help since she's one of the best hunters in town."  
  
"Yeah, right." Joseph said finding the story unbelievable, "You really think we'd believe a story like that? We saw you trying to force her to go along with you, and if you were _really_ hoping for her help, she wouldn't have punched you, now would she?"  
  
"So, you're just spouting bullshit," Jotaro said calmly, before punching Tyler a couple more times.  
  
"Besides, I already told them you're a womanizer and a manwhore, Tyler." Irene said, "I mean, you even tried this stunt with _me_ back in Spherean!"  
  
"See, I knew you guys wouldn't believe me!" Tyler said in disgust, before mumbling something under his breath- which Pietro himself seemed to catch rather easily unlike Maria who had managed to move behind the group just to put some distance between her and Tyler and wasn't really focused on listening to the womanizing bastard at the moment. Unfortunately, before the stag could say anything, Jotaro lifted the man off the ground and spoke.  
  
"What was that?" he said, glaring into Tyler's maroon eyes and seeing the bastard from his world who nearly destroyed his grandfather's brain while using Jotaro himself as a servant- until Polnareff and Kakyoin managed to save Joseph anyway.  
  
"I said that your father must be pretty disappointed if a knight like you is being a violent piece of crap." Tyler then said while Pietro's frown went unnoticed by the rest of the group as the stag had heard something else completely.  
  
Unfortunately, everyone else was more focused on Jotaro as everything around them went dead silent, and a menacing air surrounded the seventeen-year-old as he kept glaring at Tyler. As Pietro started creaking a bit in fear, it was clear that even he was afraid as Irene and Joseph watched as Jotaro then threw Tyler to the ground and began pummeling the ever-loving crap out of the mage.  
  
"SHUT! THE FUCK! UP!" Jotaro then shouted between punches, the rarely emotional teen showing his full rage before stopping and seeing the seemingly dead mage before him, only to clear his throat and apparently trying to pretend he didn't just lose his temper as he returned to his stoic facade.  
  
"Jo..." Irene said, only for Pietro to put his hand on her shoulder and shake his head in silence, as if to signal that it probably wasn't wise to ask. Of course, before Maria could walk over to check and make sure Tyler really was dead, the mage suddenly gasped for air and sat back up before he looked at Jotaro and just stared at the man who just beat him to seemingly near death. While Jotaro glared back at Tyler, he also hid his confusion about how the man could still breathe after he could have sworn he punched the mage's throat hard enough that his neck snapped, Tyler soon stood up and spoke.  
  
"Alright then,  _tough guy_." Tyler then said as his eyes started to glow pink, "Next time you want to try and be cool and play hero and not expect a reward? Why don't you _stay out of it instead?"  
_  
With that said, a dark aura surrounded Tyler, causing Maria to move away quickly as it went across the ground and headed straight to Jotaro. However, when Irene, Alphonse, Pietro, and even Joseph tried to intercept it and protect their friend, it actually moved around them like a snake- much to the reflective deer man's annoyance especially, before it leapt off the ground to strike Jotaro in the head. While Jotaro was briefly surrounded by darkness, he still looked the same as he looked back at Tyler.  
  
"I'm heading home, like I planned, before being beaten down." Tyler said as he turned around and started limping towards a tower just to the east of the town square, only to stop and look over his shoulder as he added, "Irene, hope nothing happens to you. I'm _sure_ your betrothed wouldn't be happy if you ended up dying before the big day."  
  
"Like I want concern from you!" Irene snapped, while Tyler seemed to ignore it. While she and everyone else felt the mage was being sarcastic, Pietro, however, seemed to notice for a moment that there was a hint of actual concern in the mage's eyes.  
  
"Thank you for helping me out." Maria then said as she got everyone's attention, "Sorry about you being cursed though."  
  
"I don't believe in curses." Jotaro said calmly, "In fact, I still feel the same as always."  
  
As Pietro then gave Jotaro a flat look along with Joseph, it was clear they were both thinking of the very first day the two Joestars arrived where it was made very clear magic- as well as curses- were very real, but before he could say anything, Jotaro kept talking, and so because it was very rude to interrupt someone- well, when it wasn't something involving a subject he had gone over several times or was something he didn't say because people didn't ask about it specifically, he kept his mouth shut.  
  
"So then... Maria, was it? What all do you know about Tyler?"  
  
"Oh him?" Maria said, her voice showing signs of what Joseph could identify as a "Southern Accent" as she continued "Well, as the town gossip I am obliged to tell you everything I can so you can avoid him in the future. Trust me sweetie, it ain't worth it."  
  
_"Sweetie?"_ Jotaro said quietly while Maria continued.  
  
"Anyway, Tyler's from Spherean, and was practically _running_ the town for the past couple years with the potions, medicine, pesticides, philters, and other things we needed since we were tired of having to go to another town to get all that when the Wood Apothecary just closed down when the previous owner, Violet, moved away with her beau. However, about six months ago, Carmen- Violet's daughter apparently, came into town all alone carrying a jar of Primordia, moved into the shop without a word and just took it over and started selling things the next week. While Tyler tends to overcharge for pretty shoddy wares, Carmen's turned out to be actually better, and much cheaper since she doesn't need to import much- most likely due to being a shapeshifter. Anywho, Tyler saw her and had been trying to make her a new conquest too- when he wasn't trying to get her to close down her shop, but as she keeps throwing him out every day, well... let's just say if you're rich enough to own a pocket watch, you could set it since he gets thrown out exactly at high noon.  
  
"As for his personal life? Well, besides being a complete manwhore who's slept with almost every woman of age in town- no bastards though, so I guess he's using protection of some kind if he hasn't lost them, he's a sleazeball, color-blind most likely with most of his outfits, and seems to be very protective of two things- the two golden lilies in front of his tower, and his pets: a hare, a fox, a wolf, a bear and a lion. Don't know where he got them, but a few people that came through from Spherean since Tyler came along have also said something interesting- that before he settled down here, he was involved with an incident that ended up with him as seemingly the only survivor. They couldn't prove he did anything though, but apparently whatever happened is a sore subject with the guy... Personally? I think that whatever happened, he definitely did it. I mean, he does smell like he's guilty about something, and I doubt it's the sex he's having."  
  
While Jotaro and Pietro wrote this information down in their own notebooks- though Jotaro was focusing more on the crap Tyler had pulled as Maria listed them off than anything else, the stag seemed to have a serious look on his face as he wrote down everything he heard. What the stag was thinking now, Joseph couldn't tell as he looked at them, but as he listened to Maria gossip away, he still couldn't help but feel bothered about his grandson's temper breaking earlier. While he didn't really approve of his daughter's husband, he also avoided the subject of the man as much as possible since he knew that because of his career, he wasn't home that often. However, it also seemed that his son-in-law's absence had a greater effect on Jotaro than he realized if even the act of assuming the man was involved in Jotaro's life seemed to really piss him off. While Joseph was tempted to try and talk to Jotaro about it once they had a moment alone, since both of Joseph's own parents weren't around due to his father being dead and his mother in hiding due to killing a zombie while everyone else thought she killed an innocent man... well, he probably wasn't the best person to talk to his grandson about his issues.  
  
Not to mention, Joseph had his own things he'd rather keep secret.  
  
In any event, as Joseph thought about the information so far, once Maria finished, he decided to ask something that bugged him quite a bit.  
  
"How did Carmen manage to sell high quality stuff so cheaply?" he asked before also providing a cover for him and Jotaro as he also knew that just saying the two were from another world to everyone they met wouldn't be wise, "As a businessman myself when I'm not being a knight and such, I know that it can be expensive to make high quality, well, anything since you'd need to pay a lot to make sure the materials are the best, the equipment you use isn't shoddy, as well as maintenance and even paying employees working for you and as a result, prices aren't going to be that low if you want to make a profit and keep your business afloat. So, where does the extra money come from?"  
  
"Well... Local Legend has it that the Wood Family is descended directly from Silvas- the dragon that lives on the mountain named after it." Maria said, "So... since dragons tend to have a lot of treasure, Carmen's most likely filthy rich anyway."  
  
As Jotaro, Joseph and Irene looked rather annoyed towards Pietro while Maria petted Alphonse, the stag looked up in confusion as he stopped writing and looked up at the others.  
  
"Something wrong?" Pietro said while Joseph decided to speak for the rest of the group as he put an arm around the stag's shoulders and pulled him close as he gave a fake smile while glaring at the deer man.  
  
" _You_ said that Mt. Silvas was named for a _mysterious entity_ , not a damn dragon." Joseph then said, before putting Pietro in a headlock. "You didn't _lie,_ did you?"  
  
"I didn't even know it was a dragon!" Pietro said with a whine, "My ability to tell only the truth is limited only to my _personal_ knowledge, if I don't know it, _I don't know it!"_  
  
"Good grief..." Jotaro muttered as he lowered his hat over his eyes, "In any case Maria, what else can you tell us about Carmen Wood?"  
  
"Well, what do you need to know?" Maria said with a smile and showing her fangs, "I was a pretty good info gatherer for my Uncle Ares before meeting my Susie and settling down here in Thornsborough, so if you need something I don't know... I'll be sure to get that info for you, sweetie."  
  
"Appearance, personality, anything you know about her that you haven't said already," Jotaro said while Joseph took the opportunity to make a reference to a radio program he heard in America, and even watched on TV a couple of times when it started being produced as a show- mainly because his wife seemed to love the show, but he was more for comedies than anything else.  
  
"Just the facts ma'am," he said, grinning as he was just enjoying a moment he wasn't sure would come up again.  
  
"Well... in her base form- or well, the 'Primary' form a shapeshifter takes in their life, she's about... Five-foot-five, long, very bushy brown hair, emerald green eyes like mister tough guy here- maybe brighter, it's a bit hard to tell with his hat on." Maria began, before unleashing another stream of info, "Anyway, she's also got measurements of 38-24-38- inches mind you, not the system that Usaginaba has involving centimeters, likes to wear that stained leather apron of hers over a simple green dress- though I've seen her wear other colors but I think green just works best for her, and as for personality? Well, she's rude, snarky, bluntly honest, kind of anti-social, but she does have a kind side to her. She's not fond of idiots, goofballs, mages- especially ones from Spherean though she has said there was one exception, and well, guys like Tyler. Don't know what kind of guy- or girl, she might like, but she doesn't like talking about her past- understandable since she smells like she came from Spherean, and there? Well, shapeshifters are just not well liked because they can't use magic, so the mages treat them like crap most of the time. Anyway, when she gets really pissed off? She grows these three horns from her head before beating the crap out of Tyler- or whoever else pissed her off that day- and one time this jackass from out of town tried to use a sword against her... and she ended up cutting it in half with this multi-toothed, rotary, blade thing before scaring the piss out of the idiot and making him run off after he begged her for mercy. Was so fast that it looked like she used magical light blades or something, but, she was just moving fast. Only day so far when Tyler didn't bug her honestly."  
  
"Is that it?" Jotaro asked, earning a nod from Maria before she looked at Joseph and noticed he didn't seem to look very well.  
  
"Are you alright, hon?" she said then, "You look like someone gutted your brother and stuffed him with stones!"  
  
"Uh, no... no, I'm fine!" Joseph said as he flinched and cleared his throat, "Just uh... probably pretty damn frightening to have seen her do that... also, that's a specific description to use."  
  
"Well, with the blood feud between the Lupos and the Reds... that's how the Reds like to kill us." Maria said a bit sadly, "In fact, the last big bad wolf, Alan? That's how my cousin Ricky found him... and before his wedding too. What's worse is that I couldn't attend the funeral and see who took over, since Susie overworked himself in the forge again and needed to rest while I had his apprentice finish the work."  
  
"Actually," Pietro said then, "Ricky took over as the Big Bad Wolf, and ended the feud before going out of Ringaia to hunt down Alan's murderer, based on what he told me anyway."  
  
"Oh! Is that you, Pietro?" Maria then said, "Why, I haven't seen you in a decade, Sugarhorn! I didn't even recognize you since you're well, not a reflection this time! Though, I'm surprised Ricky managed to take over... I mean, he was considered a runt after all."  
  
"Well, he actually knocked down all three houses," Pietro said and caused Maria's eyes to widen as she was stunned silent. "In fact, one of the bricks of the manor ended up flying all the way to Miravel, where it struck a faerie that was trying to curse my companions Joseph and Jotaro."  
  
"... Huh. Never knew he could pull it off." Maria said, "A-anyway, why are you looking for Carmen, again?"  
  
"Sue asked us to keep an eye on her," Jotaro said bluntly, while Maria nodded.  
  
"Alright, just keep going straight on south from here until you reach her shop- it's an old building, and it will certainly stand out against the rest of town, so just go behind that, and you should be able to find her along the path." Maria said with a nod as she understood what was going on, "Good luck, and tell her I said hi!"  
  
Before any of the group could say anything else, the she-wolf then walked away and hummed to herself while Joseph seemed to be a bit lost in thought as he went over Maria's description of Carmen again- particularly what happened when the shapeshifter got mad.  
  
"It's just a coincidence." he mumbled to himself, "That has to be it. There's no way in hell someone else could access _his_ Light Mode, right?"  
  
"Joseph?" Pietro said- getting the man's attention as he realized that the man and the stag had hung back while Jotaro. Alphonse and Irene moved further ahead, "What is this 'light mode' you mentioned?"  
  
"It's..." Joseph said before shaking his head. "Nevermind. Just... it's a long story and there are some bad memories tied to it that I don't want to think about."  
  
"Seems like you already are." Pietro said flatly, before looking concerned, "In any case, keeping it locked up might not be a good idea. The truth may come out sooner or later, so... I'm willing to listen in private if you need to talk."  
  
"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind," Joseph said before moving on ahead to catch up to the rest of the group. As Pietro looked on though, he sighed and worried a bit about the man, while also turning his thoughts to how Tyler acted earlier, especially what the mage had mumbled before angering Jotaro.  
  
_"Damn, it's kicking in again. Just a kid, and he thinks he's been through hell? He hasn't been through **crap** compared to me."_

~0~

Meanwhile, Tyler Williamson had finally reached his tower- a small one with just three floors and a basement, but he didn't mind it a bit despite how everyone saw him. As he walked through the door, he looked at the five animal beds in the living room- four of which being occupied by a fox, a wolf, a bear and a lion, who all looked at him as he closed the door behind him and groaned.  
  
"McCloud, Steppen, Bon Jovi, Aurelio, I'm home," he said, while the lion stood up and padded over to his master first to be petted before the others followed suit one by one. "Still no sign of Sinatra?"  
  
"No." Aurelio, the lion, then said sadly, "Master, why don't you send me after her, instead of going for help from one of the locals?"  
  
"I just don't want you or the others to get hurt while looking for her, that's all," Tyler said with a small smile as the lion gave him a lick in understanding- and also while Tyler undid his robe enough to reveal a scar going around the middle of his neck in the process.  
  
"I smell blood master Tyler. Did...?" Steppen the wolf then asked, leaving the rest of the question unspoken for now as the mage nodded sadly while heading towards the stairs leading to the third floor lab.  
  
"Yeah, it happened again. Seventeen year old knight in very weird clothes... the _other_ thing happened as well."  
  
"Oh boy..." McCloud the fox said with a growl as the other animals seemed to act like this was a common occurrence, "How fucked is he, and how will he not be fucked?"  
  
"Very, and cursed him to try and get him to drop the tough guy act. If that doesn't work, hopefully, someone will call him out." Tyler said while looking at his companions, "I'm heading to the lab to try and get some work done. If anyone comes by, no talking around them, got it? This is the third town we moved to since we left Spherean, and most people think that well, talking animals that weren't cursed humans don't exist anymore. We all know what happened last time, right?"  
  
As the four beasts nodded- and also three of them giving the bear a few dirty looks as they recalled the last two times he opened his big mouth- and the girls that tried to "fix them" while their master was targeted by an angry mob over the misunderstanding.  
  
Later in Tyler's lab, the mage would be busy mixing things together- as he hadn't had as many people buy his wares in the past six months as usual, he didn't have to worry about gathering reagents and importing ingredients from Spherean or elsewhere in the kingdoms for a while, and grumbled to himself as he pounded a bunch of flowers he set into a mortar into paste with the pestle.  
  
"Dammit, why did those people with Irene have to show up and complicate things?" he said, "I needed that bitch Maria to find Sinatra so I wouldn't send my beasts out and raise questions about where I got them- especially if the locals heard about... Ugh, can't even say his name without feeling hatred and self-loathing, and maybe let her get ready for when her husband ends up getting himself killed because of how much that giant-suckled, stupidly named monster pushes himself! But nope, had to go into that damn state I always do thanks to... _him_... and get myself killed. _Again._ As for Carmen... I've never seen a shapeshifter with as much control as she has over what she can do- especially that blade she sent out of her arm. Seriously, I saw that, and even I thought it was magic before it turned out to be some freaky thing she came up with... not to mention she can still bring out her horns... shapeshifters aren't even supposed to do that after they hit puberty! Ugh, shit is going to be hitting the fan soon, I know it.... hopefully, this philter will help Carmen get what she needs to let go of whatever is keeping her closed off."  
  
It was then that he felt a tug at his robe, and out of concern turned and looked down to see a brown hare with a coral necklace on.  
  
"Sinatra?" he then said, the poor rabbit having sacrificed her gift of speech a long time ago as she nodded while he picked the hare up with one arm while the other held a bottle of liquid, "What are you doing in here? You know I don't allow you or the others in the lab... you could get sick."  
  
_"I brought her."_ an unfamiliar voice said behind him, causing Tyler to flinch as he dropped the bottle into the mortar, the glass shattering and the paste now turning into a bright green slime.  
  
"Shit!" Tyler said, before using his magic to remove the substance before it could explode once he saw the slime, before turning to see who or what had spoken. As that something turned out to be an alien looking, black and silver figure, the mage then held the rabbit closely to protect it while raising a hand and producing a ball of light- a favorite spell of his that would cause the victim to be electrocuted once he fired it off. "Who... WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!?"  
  
"Call me... _Karas."_ the thing then said before giving a pained laugh as it bowed, "Am I interrupting your complaints about... women troubles?"  
  
"I don't know what you are... but I want you out of my tower," Tyler said, sensing a ton of trouble heading his way if he let the thing stay longer. However, Karas then tisked and wagged its finger in the mage's face before it spoke again.  
  
"Now, now, what of your... debt to me?" it said, "I... did return your hare, after all... and my... ally... Amelia Red did say I could use whatever I wished to make sure I... accomplished... my task. So... here is my... request... Distract that... oafish teen and his allies while I... locate something in the area... and your debt will be settled."  
  
"Amelia?" Tyler said in surprise then as he lowered his glowing hand a moment before raising it again and glared while his brown eyes glowed pink, "That's impossible. Amelia Red _died_ two years ago- I was there, and I know full well what I saw!"  
  
"Perhaps things are not as they seemed then..." Karas said, finding this bit of information rather interesting as it seemingly smiled behind the strange mask on its face. However, it did not have time to delve into this mystery further and simply went straight to business.  
  
"So, will you... help me or not?"  
  
"Fine, but only because I don't want to be a ghost with a debt to a thing like you," Tyler said as he lowered his arm and canceled his magic while his hare held on to him for dear life. "What exactly do you need from me?"  
  
"Would you happen to have... something that can break through a ward on a... _dragon's lair?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title comes from the Pat Benetar song, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot."
> 
> Jojo's Bizarre Alternates that debut in this chapter:
> 
> Only one. Steely Dan= Tyler Williamson the mage, even if Tyler just has a goatee added, as well as a gaudy looking robe instead of Dan's usual outfit. 
> 
> Anywho, it seems that Tyler himself has a different method of being a dick than Steely Dan, and originally would have been a straight up sleazeball. However, I ended up getting ideas for later on in the story and... well...
> 
> I fear I may end up committing a sin by making an alternate of Steely Dan more sympathetic than the actual one. Won't say how just yet due to spoilers, but... let's just say there's more to Tyler than meets the eye.
> 
> Next, the names of Tyler's pets mostly relate to music:
> 
> Steppen the wolf= Steppenwulf  
> Aurelio the lion= Aurelio Voltaire  
> Bon Jovi the bear= ... Bon Jovi.  
> Sinatra the Rabbit= Nancy Sinatra. 
> 
> McCloud's name is well, more of a video game reference since I'm not sure if there's a McCloud related to music?
> 
> However, if Tyler is telling the truth about Amelia dying two years before the story, then who or what could be working for Bowie under her name?
> 
> More importantly, WHAT THE HELL IS KARAS PLANNING ON DOING THAT INVOLVES ROBBING A DAMN DRAGON!?
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: The effects of Tyler's curse is seen, while Ricky Lupo has an encounter in Unicorn's Blade.


	12. Flying Purple People Eater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ricky has an encounter with Netanel in Unicorn's Blade. 
> 
> Back in Thornsborough though, the effects of Tyler's curse on Jotaro start to become clear as Team Jojo continue their search for Carmen Wood.

 

  
In the town of Unicorn's Blade, Ricky Lupo had just left the inn after swapping shifts with Wamu. Though he offered to walk around with Arachne, the half-fae said she was tired and just before he left, Wamu had mentioned something Ricky needed to know. Of course, as the Big Bad Wolf had growled that it could wait until he got back, he felt he just needed some time alone to decompress a bit before he accidentally ripped apart either a friend or an innocent civilian.

The fact he had to head out barefoot as he had to take his shoes off before his claws ripped them apart while he was in feral mode wasn't really helping his mood that much either. In addition, as he walked around town with his hands in his pants pockets to hide how hairy and clawed they became and his hat lowered enough to shade his face so people wouldn't see how beastly he looked and frighten them off, Ricky then thought about how much he hated getting put into Feral Mode.

As a Bestial Elf, specifically one with traits from a predatory animal, Ricky and other Bestials like him could have their body change when their emotions ran high or if they were just plain driven berserk by some poor idiot- mainly by their eyes becoming a lot more beastly, their mouth extending forward a small amount, and most importantly their hands and feet becoming much more noticeably clawed and also hairy up to the knee and elbow. While not as bad a transformation as a were-beast, it still had the side effect of destroying a Bestial's shoes. Though, in exchange for more power and agility in a fight, losing a pair of shoes was not too much of a problem unless a Bestial made a living out of fighting Feral.

As for why Ricky hated this form, that was due to the fact that when he had to get wild, he _really_ went wild. Especially when he entered Feral Mode for the first time in his life, as he recalled one moment fighting for his and his brother's life and the next with his clothes in shreds, his hands and teeth bloody and an assassin on the ground mauled to death and apparently having a few bites taken out of him. Sure, he and Alan had survived, but for the then 15-year-old wolf, he had not just scared himself but also his brother when he learned that he almost turned on his twin while out of control. Thankfully, Ricky was able to be restrained long enough to calm down thanks to his father showing up to beat the wolf back in a show of dominance, though even then Ricky was apparently more of a challenge when feral than he was when he was in control of himself. As he remembered the look on his father's face when he regained control- battered, an eye gouged out and somehow still managing to give a worried look towards Ricky as Alan looked on in sheer horror, Ricky felt regret that day, and honestly wanted to try and end his own life out of fear of hurting his family again.

The day he was caught about to stab himself in the heart by his brother was the day that Ares Lupo decided it was time for a bodyguard- just to make sure Ricky would be able to survive long enough to move on and learn to control his Feral Mode, rather than to protect both of his sons from the Reds like Wandorian had originally been led to believe.

Ricky then remembered how his bodyguard and surrogate older brother reacted when he told the man the truth, and smiled a bit as he remembered Wamu actually understanding his fear, before smacking Ricky rather hard as he chewed out the wolf for also making his family worry by acting like a coward while trying to make it look like it was for their sake to ease his conscience. While Ricky did almost bite his throat out in retaliation- literally, the bodyguard did help Ricky learn to control himself as they forged a bond to the point that even his own twin considered Wamu part of the family. However, despite learning control, he still hated going feral at all when he could lose control again and kill someone he cared about. That fear was what motivated him to train hard enough to be able to fight without relying on his Feral mode- though, it still had a habit of showing when he was pissed off like he was in the present.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, mutt!" a voice then said, drawing Ricky out of his thoughts as he saw that someone had bumped into the wolf- a mage a little shorter than the wolf with white hair pulled into a series of tight corn row braids, dark skin showing him to be at least descended from someone in Western Ringaia or Scherezade, red eyes- most likely due to magic or something, leather gloves and a blue and silver robe that was currently covered by some mud thanks to the puddle the stranger had fallen into. As Ricky growled and stood by while the man stood up without any help, Ricky noticed that the mage also seemed to have clockwork arms and legs judging by the muffled ticking he heard- though he also got the feeling the limbs weren't lost in an accident.

"Who are you calling a mutt, _idiota?"_ Ricky asked, causing the mage to flinch a bit, "I was going to apologize, but if you, _a human_ is calling a fellow human a mutt, well I guess I can throw that out the window."

"You dare to disrespect me, the great Netanel?" the mage said, "Do you even know that it is unwise to disrespect a wizard!? We are subtle and quick to anger!"

"Quick to anger? Yeah, that sounds right in your case, but I don't think we have the same definition of _subtle_ here." Ricky said dryly, "Besides you disrespected me first, so I think it's fair to return the favor."

As Ricky simply adjusted his tie a bit and let the Wind Stone pinned in it shine in the sunlight while Netanel was about to give a retort, he noticed the mage stop and look at the stone with a hungry look in his eye.

"What's that?" he asked, "I sense a lot of magic from it, so it's definitely more than a simple pin."

"The Wind Stone, Magic Boy," Ricky said, getting a bad feeling about this.

"Oooh!~ A bit obvious in name, but I am curious where you got it, how you got such a powerful object in such a small form, and whether or not a wolf like yourself will let me take it off your hands to study and unlock its full potential?" Netanel said, only to look confused when Ricky glared at the mage, "What's wrong?"

"Why the _hell_ would I give you a family heirloom, especially if you're treating me like some moron who doesn't know how to use the damn thing in the first place!?" Ricky barked, only to keep talking while Netanel tried to answer a rhetorical question. "Besides I can't just give it to anyone. The stone's picky as hell about who uses it, and even if it wasn't? I definitely would not give it to you."

Frowning, Netanel then moved to try and take the stone, only for his leather covered fingers to pass through it like it wasn't even there while also messing up Ricky's tie.

"What?" Netanel said, trying again only for Ricky to bark and draw the attention of the locals that were just passing by as the wolf grabbed the mage's wrist and felt the hard metal casing of a clockwork limb through the leather glove.

"I _said_ the Wind Stone's picky, dumbass." Ricky then said, "If it doesn't want you to take it, it gets intangible for would-be thieves. Now, give up already and get lost!"

"No." Netanel said, eyes glowing a bit as he charged up a spell, "I think you're just using magic of your own to keep me from taking your pin. Perhaps you'll be a bit more cooperative after I've had a chance to change your m--"

Before the mage could use his spell, he ended up getting a kick to the chest as Ricky had stepped back and quietly calculated the best angle and target to strike. As the mage was then sent flying a foot and a half into another mud puddle, the onlookers seemed afraid as the mage stood up and glared back at the wolf while one of his arms seemed to give off a noticeable series of clicks as it didn't seem to move- whether due to getting clogged by the mud or the robe getting caught in something, Ricky didn't really know or care.

"You damn mutt..." Netanel then said, "I'll get you for this!"

"Nah I don't think you will." Ricky said with a calm growl, "See, I was only defending my precious family heirloom from being stolen by you, as well as protecting myself from being forced to hand it over by you as well. In fact, if you complain to the local authorities and dress it up as the opposite, well, I believe the _witnesses here_ will be more than willing to back me up than a guy who doesn't understand the concept of 'no' very well. Not to mention harming me may also end up getting an angry mob after you whether to break whatever curse you might be thinking of putting on me or anything else. After all, since true love can be hard to come by at times... well, killing the caster can work just as well."

Netanel then glanced around and saw that the wolf had a point as the locals seemed to be ready to grab whatever was on hand to defend themselves with in case the mage didn't heed the warning. As he realized that going to the local authorities- also known as Pierre Polheffer would lead to him being arrested by his enemy, he also realized that he couldn't get out of this situation like he wanted to. So, he simply ran away, silently swearing revenge on the wolf at a later date, once his other goals were met.

With the mage gone, Ricky simply shrugged as everyone else returned to their own business, and while still feeling feral, decided to blow off some steam in the Southern woods until he was able to will himself back to normal- and also avoid an unwanted meeting with a certain member of the Zavriel family he had heard about in town as well.

 

~0~

Meanwhile, in Thornsborough, Jotaro and the rest of his group had just reached the Wood Apothecary- a quaint, if slightly rundown looking wooden building with a faded sign in front of it. Of course, as they had been told that Carmen was on the back road leading to Mt. Silvas, they simply went around to the back instead of heading through the shop itself.

There, they found not just a worn path leading towards the mountain, but also a garden filled with various herbs and medicinal plants used for Carmen's wares as well as a patch of strange silver, claw-like flowers growing just next to the back door of the shop. As Pietro let a squeal of delight as he prepared to stop and take his journal out to make note of the silver flowers, Jotaro simply grabbed his shoulder and pulled him along.

"Don't get distracted." the teen said calmly, while Pietro merely looked between him and the flowers while letting out unhappy sounding deer noises before giving up and nodding sadly.

"I'll examine them later then..." he said with a bit of hope, "Well if Miss Wood is willing to allow me that is- it is her garden after all."

After about an hour of walking, the heroes would soon find a crossroads, with one path leading into a rather thick forest while the other path continued further along the base of the mountain. Of course, as both paths seemed to be traveled recently combined with the fact that so far, the group didn't know which road to take- especially since Maria didn't mention a fork, Jotaro decided to turn navigation to someone else.

"Pietro," he said, looking towards the stag while also noticing for a moment that Alphonse seemed to smell something, "Think you can figure out which road Carmen took?"

"W-Well I-" Pietro said, before letting out a yelp as Alphonse suddenly barked and ran off into the woods, and also causing Pietro to look worried as he then called out, "W-Wait, Alphonse! Come back here, boy!"

Just as Pietro was about to run after him with his surprising speed and bring the Alphyn back though, Jotaro stopped him by having his stand grab Pietro's shoulder.

"Worry about him later, we have a job to do." Jotaro then said- while Pietro also noticed he sounded more serious than he usually did, as well as noticing something off about the teen's green eyes as to Pietro, they seemed a little bit cloudy, "Now, which way did Carmen Wood go?"

As Pietro hesitated a bit in silence as he knew full well that Jotaro seemed to be affected by the curse, the stag then glanced around towards Joseph and Irene- noting that Joseph seemed to be staring intently at his grandson while Irene herself seemed a bit distracted by something, and assumed that the brunette had made the same realization the stag did.

"Pietro," Jotaro said, giving a slight glare before the stag finally answered him.

"Right. Well, it will be hard to sniff around with Star Platinum holding my shoulder." Pietro said, with the stand letting go before he stepped forward and sniffed the air a bit, focusing on any scent that seemed unfamiliar to him while ignoring the various plants and people he knew. Finally, he found the correct one and spoke up.

"It seems that besides Alphonse, no one has entered the woods recently and from the smell of things, it does seem Miss Wood went down the other road." the stag said, with Jotaro moving forward along the mountain road.

"Then let's get going," he said, with his stand, Pietro and Irene in tow before he stopped and turned around to see Joseph still standing at the fork- the brunette's hat shading his eyes and a frown on his face. "Gramps, you coming or not?"

"I think we better go get Alphonse." Joseph said, looking towards the teen, "My gut's telling me that there's something important in there, and if the mutt gets in trouble well, someone's gotta pull his tail out of the fire."

"We have a job to do, remember?" Jotaro then said as he walked back to Joseph and moved to grab him and force him to go along with the rest of the group- only for Joseph to move back instead.

"Yeah, but Alphonse is also a part of our team," Joseph then argued, "So I'm pretty sure Carmen can wait a little longer for us to go get Alphonse, right?"

"You're putting a dog over a person?" Jotaro asked, "We do this job for Sue and we get Irene's unicorns back as well as a new carriage for the road. One mutt shouldn't take priority."

"Are you even hearing yourself right now?" Joseph then said, looking rather surprised by his grandson's attitude right now, though with his grandson not answering, the brunette simply turned around and started heading into the woods, "You know what? How about you go get Carmen while I go get our teammate- we'll catch up with you later."

"Fine," Jotaro said, heading back to Pietro and Irene while Joseph headed after Alphonse alone. While both Fanterrans were able to realize what exactly caused Jotaro's behavior, neither said a thing as they kept walking with Jotaro. Pietro however, was focused more on the fact that Jotaro's actions seemed forced along by Tyler's curse and hoped there was a way to break it. In fact, as the remaining quartet continued onward, no one said a word to each other- that is until Irene saw something on the stone wall close by.

"What's this?" she said, getting Pietro's attention as he saw her wander closer to the mountain and as Jotaro seemed to ignore her, he felt he had to make sure nothing happened. So, as the stag joined Irene at the mountainside, he saw what seemed like a gemstone lodged in the stone wall. While the gem seemed harmless enough, Pietro's instincts acted up, warning him of danger as Irene moved a hand out to touch it.

"Irene, wait!" he then said, but it was too late as the moment the blond had brushed her fingers against the gem, the mountain began to rumble and actually extend itself outward into the form of a giant claw ready to grab them. Though Pietro grabbed Irene and started trying to get away from the trap, the stag was stopped as the ground seemed to be against him as it formed a wall to block his path.

"Jotaro! Help!" Pietro shouted, causing the teen to stop and look back- seemingly unconcerned while Star Platinum looked on in shock and then rage just as they saw the claw grab the stag and the witch. As the stone claw then began receding back into the mountain with its prize, the stand and user then attempted to go help them- only for something unexpected to occur.

Jotaro found himself unable to move or speak while his stand vanished from sight, forcing him to watch as Pietro tried to shout something before he and Irene were consumed by the mountain itself.

 

~0~

Meanwhile, in the woods, Joseph found himself wandering along the slowly darkening path, looking for Alphonse. Of course, while he still had light to see with, he did use Hermit Purple to keep track of the missing alphyn, mainly by sending the tips of the thorned, purple vines into the ground and using its ability to create a map in the dirt. Of course, while he was surprised to see that the map ended up adapting to an area with a lot more plant life with grass popping up to represent trees while Alphonse was represented by a bump in the dirt that kept moving forward while Joseph's dot remained still every time he checked. Of course, seeing that there was only one road in the woods so far seemed to help a good bit as he relaxed without having to worry about a crossroads.

However, the deeper he went into the forest, the more he noticed that the plant life around him became stranger and stranger- from things such as a grove of trees that were each in a different color of the rainbow to human-sized patches of flowers that seemed quite out of place either by how the stems on some spiraled out of the ground, how unnatural the colors seemed on some of the flowers or even just how some seemed to glow a bit in the darker parts of the forest.

"Did I end up walking into Wonderland too?" Joseph then said to himself as he noticed the strangeness of it all, and even stopping as he saw a very odd looking creature that seemed like a cross between a squirrel, a goat and bird just run across his path without paying him any mind.

"I'm just going to pretend I never saw that," he said, moving onward still. Though, the closer he got to where Alphonse stopped after checking the map again, the more his gut told him that there was something important hiding in this area- though what it was, he still had no idea yet. Then, he heard a noise overhead, and keeping Hermit Purple out- charged with Hamon and ready for battle, he glanced around him when he saw the thing coming out of the sky, causing him to remember a song he heard on the radio a lot back in the late fifties while Holy was growing up, and even once in a while every now and then.

"You're kidding me," he said flatly, as he saw the thing land on a tree branch. "There is no way in hell I'm seeing this."

The thing, as he saw seemed to be creature with purple fur, long, spindly arms and legs that had a sort of webbing between them to act as wings, what looked like a pair of white short-shorts, sharp teeth showing in a wide grin, feet like a pigeon, and finally, one long horn and one big eye.

Also, the bane of his existence as he remembered when Holy was a little girl, and how damn annoying he found the song- which became worse when he heard that Hollywood was planning on making a movie about the thing from the song and its remake during the 60s. Luckily, his trip to fight DIO allowed him to miss the premiere.

"Yet, it really looks like a flying purple people eater to me." Joseph then said with a growl while the creature stared at him and kept up that creepy grin, "And what the hell are you looking at!?"

"Purple...I smell purple!~" the creature said rather hungrily as it seemed to look at Joseph- or rather, his stand. "Let me taste it..."

"Oh, this doesn't look good." the brunette then said, reaching behind him and pulling out a pair of clackers, "Why couldn't this thing want to get a job in a rock and roll band instead!?"

Of course, as the creature then seemed to prepare to jump on the branch, Joseph acted quickly by charging the oiled clackers with Hamon and chucking them at the beast to try and slow it down. Mainly because he had a hunch that attacking with his stand would end painfully for him. Of course, since he also did not want to risk losing another hand in this world- or worse, he decided to do the one thing the now wrapped up and struggling Purple People Eater wasn't able to do easily.

Run like hell.

"Ciao!" Joseph said, booking it just as the creature broke out of the clackers turned bolas and started giving chase.

"PURPLE! GIVE ME PURPLE!" the monster shouted, only for Joseph to get an idea as he dismissed his stand and looked over his shoulder- only for the creature to stop and look around in confusion.

"Purple?" the creature then said, looking and sniffing around the woods, "Where is Purple?"

Joseph didn't say a word- afraid it would see him again and only watched as the creature moved on all fours on the ground sniffing about in circles as it tried to find its meal again. Of course, as Joseph was now feeling a bit sorry for the thing, he did remember that it wanted to eat his stand, and so just watched as it seemed to smell something off and grin again.

"TEQUILA!" it shouted, jumping into the air and taking off, and even playing some music through the horn on his head as it went off to find either booze or its next meal.

"Okay, I think I'm just going to not mention this to anyone when I get back to Earth, just because this was just too damn silly- even by my standards." Joseph said as he started walking straight ahead on the road once more, "Also, I swear if I hear that damn song again when I get back, I'm smashing the radio if I can't change the station."

 

~0~

Back with Jotaro, once the teen had been able to move again, he just decided to keep walking- while also wondering what made him freeze up like that and also cause his stand to fade away against its will. In fact, as far as he knew, that had never happened before- though, before ending up in Fanterra, non-stand users couldn't interact or even see a stand before either.

 _"Could it have been that curse?"_ he thought to himself, now worried as he figured that if it was, he would need to find a way to break it. After all, it did seem to cause the deaths of Irene and Pietro- unless they were somehow still alive after being absorbed into a mountain. Either way, once the curse was removed, he was going to find Tyler and punch his face in with a few good oras as payback.

In fact, as he thought about it, he decided to start a new receipt for Steely Dan's counterpart in this world, and put down the curse and what it caused so far at the top as he kept walking again- before he stopped and looked up to see someone up ahead, and kneeling by the side of the road as they were busy gathering what looked like pods off of some wildflowers and placing them inside a wooden tackle-box.

As Jotaro moved closer though, he then noticed that someone was a woman, with long and very bushy looking brown hair, a green, long-sleeved dress under a stained leather apron, as well as a pair of brown, ankle-high boots- most likely for hiking in the mountains judging by how thick the soles were. As the woman stood up though, he caught a glimpse of bright, emerald green eyes as he then remembered Maria's description of Carmen Wood, and compared that to the woman he saw now.

Five feet, five inches tall? Check- since it seemed she was a foot shorter than Jotaro at least.

Carmen's measurements according to Maria- even if why anyone would want to know that was up in the air? Definite hourglass figure going for the brunette who had stopped and turned to face him, though he wasn't quite sure if they were exact or a slight exaggeration.

The 'go to hell' look fitting of someone with a blunt personality? Returned in kind by Jotaro as he realized that she was walking a little closer to him.

"Who are you, and what the hell do you want?" Carmen Wood then asked once she stopped and crossed her arms, the large backpack she had on her shoulders bulging a bit now that the tackle box had been placed inside.

"Jotaro Kujo." the teen said, "I'm looking for a shapeshifter named Carmen Wood, are you her?"

"So what if I am?" Carmen said as she then began walking away from him, "Shop's closed for the day, so if you wanted to buy something, go to the inn and come back in the morning like every other traveler."

Well, she certainly seemed to be uncooperative, as Jotaro felt... something- what it was he couldn't be sure, with how this woman talked to him. As he remained silent, however, he then remembered how Tyler reacted when he saw the badge he got from Swiftcart, and decided to see if that would help things.

"I'm a knight of Miravel working on an investigation." he then said- causing her to stop with her back towards him, "I've been told that you might be able to tell me about where to find Koriander the Slayer?"

Carmen didn't react at first, only to then turn and glare as Jotaro saw three small horns come out of her skull in a formation similar to a tiara. As he realized that he may have said the wrong thing, he simply braced himself as he watched Carmen raise an arm towards him.

"Why don't you go to hell?" Carmen then said coldly, before a sending out a barbed tentacle from the palm her hand right towards Jotaro's chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title comes from the song "Flying Purple People Eater" By Sheb Wooley.
> 
> Of course, there aren't any new Jojo's Bizarre Alternates in this chapter either. In fact, this chapter was the shortest I've written so far!
> 
> Though, this chapter also shows Ricky's views on something that only about half of the Bestial Elves can use- Feral Mode, which was used by Sue back in Chapter 10 here in Ao3 (though officially, A Boy Named Sue is chapter 9 over on Space Battles), as well as had moments where it flared up on Ricky during the story so far, such as after his brother's funeral, and during his oath to get some payback for what happened to Veronica.
> 
> However, Ricky's section of the chapter also goes a bit into his past: The fact that when he first went feral, he possibly ate a small part of a person he killed, managed to cause his father to lose an eye and even scared the crap out of his twin brother, Alan, all of which nearly caused Ricky to commit Suicide- had his brother not stopped him in time. Not to mention that the main reason Wamu was hired was to make sure Ricky wouldn't try again, as well as teach the present day Big Bad Wolf some control... even though Ricky still fears he could lose it while feral.
> 
> Eventually, there will be a point where Ricky's Feral Mode will be shown in full, but for now? That point is pretty far off.
> 
> Also, I did enjoy writing his encounter with Netanel for the following reasons:  
> 1\. The bit about Ricky's observation about Netanel having clockwork limbs.  
> 2\. Ricky's efforts to shut down Netanel's attempts to not just steal the Wind Stone, but also to keep him from trying to get payback... without even realizing Netanel is the guy he's after.
> 
> Also, it seems Netanel has a lack of understanding what "No" means when it comes to other people's stuff... as far as magic is concerned anyway. 
> 
> In regards to the Team Jojo half of the chapter though, we see that Tyler's Curse is pretty much keeping Jojo from helping his allies... to the point of freezing him in place if he even tries to save his friends because it's just the right thing to do. You guys can probably imagine what that sort of moment could have done to Jotaro, considering at the start of this fic, DIO had JUST bit the dust.
> 
> Also, yes. There really was a Flying Purple Eater movie released in December of 1988. As for why Joseph may hate the song that movie was based on... well, he may have liked it originally, but due to over exposure... it became annoying. Probably didn't help if Holy was a kid at the time. And if Joseph was keeping up with news in Hollywood at the time of Stardust Crusaders, he may have at least known it was in production...
> 
> And we can probably add "Avoiding a movie based on an annoying song" to the list of "Potential Other Reasons Joseph decided to go after DIO, besides saving his daughter (and in this fic at least, Josuke)" shall we?
> 
> Also, I decided to do a bit of playing around with what Hermit Purple can do if there's more than Dirt on the road when Joseph uses it to make a map of an area.
> 
> Finally, it seems Jotaro got himself into trouble, huh?
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune! Marik has a conversation with someone from Karas' past, Joseph finds Alphonse, and Jotaro tries to avoid being killed.


	13. Time Forgotten One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a chat with his sister Renee, Marik Zavriel has a meeting with someone from the time of the Blue Faerie Empire, and learns what the future may hold for him... among other things.
> 
> Meanwhile in Thornsborough, Jotaro gets to know Carmen, Joseph finds Alphonse along with something else, and Pietro and Irene find themselves in the worst place possible.

Marik Zavriel watched as Pierre Polheffer left to go back to Unicorn's Blade, the knight and Marik's sister Renee having had their chance to talk for the day, and also managed to ask Marik to help the knight's investigation as well. Considering the fact they had figured out what was causing a curse that was going around the town, and also that Netanel was the one behind it, Marik couldn't even consider declining to make the counter for the curse.  
  
Mainly because Marik downright hated the idea of an asshole like Netanel using magic he forced Renee to teach him, more than the mage himself.  
  
Of course, as he then heard his sister clear her throat behind him, the manticore-fae turned to face his half-sister, who at the moment was dressed in thick leather gloves, a matching apron over a sleeveless shirt and leather pants instead of a nice dress like usual- and immediately noticed her smile.  
  
"I take it things went well?" he then asked, "You seem happier than usual... not that I believe it's a bad thing, of course."  
  
"Yeah, today was actually pretty great!" Renee said, "Besides what we talked to you about earlier, it seems our big sister is in town early thanks to a traveling trio... though, the girl in that group is one of the victims."  
  
"Well, seems I'll need to cook some extra for when Arachne decides to visit." Marik said, "Assuming she's had a reason not to come by once in the past three days- most likely not wanting her companions to know what she really is. In any case, what else did you two talk about?"  
  
"Well, it turns out he was the original owner of that music box I've been working on restoring for the past 14 years..." Renee said, "And he blamed himself for what happened to destroy it, and also cost him his legs and his father parts of his own body."  
  
"That smoke monster who was rejected completely by mother, wasn't it?" Marik said, as Renee nodded, "Didn't you mention another knight was there, and carried them off when you came home that day?"  
  
"Yeah... turns out that other knight was a golem made by Pierre's mother." Renee said, "Pierre also beat himself up over that incident, but... I did try to help him move on."  
  
"He was a child. Sometimes guilt for something beyond their control sticks with them as they grow older." Marik said with a shrug, before he hummed a bit and leaned against the wall of the living room. "I didn't see him leave with the music box. You _did_ try to give it back to him, didn't you?"  
  
"I did, don't worry." Renee said, "However... he was nice enough to let me keep it, since as things stands, he said he might consider me family as well by the end of the week."  
  
"How noble." Marik said sarcastically, "He may have done it to try and get you to trust him- after all, the only person we know who is completely honest was stuck in a mirror- until recently, if those three days where he didn't even get spotted at all in Fanterra meant anything."  
  
Renee simply rolled her eyes as she heard her brother talk about "the one human who can be trusted at present without worry." Mainly because what she knew of Pietro Aifread was that he was the godson of one of her mother's friends- with that friend currently a statue, and that he was a flower loving nerd who had a phobia about getting into a fight. Sure, she witnessed the event that caused that fear when she first met the deer dork as a boy, but even then, she wasn't going to say anything about that incident unless Pietro wanted to talk about it.  
  
She did promise after all, and as Marik knew fully well, she wasn't going to tell a soul about that incident- and no hole in the ground or old wood stove would make her betray that secret.  
  
"In any case," Marik then said, "was there anything else you want to tell me about that knight today?"  
  
"Still not going to use his name until he earns it, huh?" Renee said flatly, while also watching as her brother simply harrumphed and shrugged in annoyance. "Well, when I told him I had something to show him, he did seem to think it was something else- and from how he acted, he was actually kind of awkward about the two of us alone in my room."  
  
_"He's a guy._ What did you expect? Him to be calm, cool and collected? Then again... he must never have---" Marik said, before pausing and looking suspiciously to his half-sister. "Did... did you two actually try to f--"  
  
"Hell no!" Renee actually barked, blushing quite a bit as her fangs became much more pronounced due to her Hell Hound side coming through for the moment, "D-Do you think I'd actually try that, after what I went through with my ex!? I can't believe you'd even think that, Marik! Honestly, there is no way I'd lay with... with _anyone_ after that bastard mage kept trying to make me enjoy waking up with... ugh! I don't even want to think about it further!"  
  
"Sorry... just had to make sure." Marik said as he coughed and looked sincerely guilty about bringing it up at all, "So, what did happen between you two- besides talking?"  
  
"We kissed. That's all." Renee said, "And I'll admit... he's a damn good kisser for a guy who hadn't had a lover until now."  
  
"How do you know he hadn't had a lover?" Marik asked as he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"He graduated with his class as the Salutatorian, and in terms of honors... actually got to Egregia." Renee said, "He focused more on his studies and technique with a sword than getting laid."  
  
Marik however, whistled at the reveal towards Pierre's academic ability, "Egregian huh? And only second place for his class? Why do I get the feeling that whoever got first place either earned it- or much more likely considering Clawthorn's Knight Academy's... recent history, had something on one of the instructors?"  
  
"Well, Valedictorian is the current Rose Knight, Fangstian Leonne, according to him, so..." Renee said, causing Marik to groan.  
  
"Oh. So it wasn't Blackmail, but Fang just courting the current owner of the original armor at the time." Marik said, "That explains a lot actually."  
  
"Wait, how did you know that?" Renee asked in confusion as Marik simply changed the subject instead of answering the question.  
  
"In any case, there are still three days left in this week, Renee." he said as he stretched a bit, "Try to be careful around him- just in case."  
  
"Don't worry, I will." Renee said with a sigh, before moving to pull her hair back while heading to the door in order to go outside and work in her forge for a little while. "Also... thanks again for helping with the curse."  
  
"You're welcome- but just know it isn't because I like your knight. I just don't want Netanel to have a victory under his belt."  
  
"Whatever you say, big brother." Renee said as she rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her.  
  
As for Marik, he then headed upstairs, having a brief chat with the siblings he encountered on the way and also reminding the Rock Giant triplets of April, May and June that it was their turn to cook dinner that night. Sure, he could have handled all meals in their home, but Marik did realize that if his half-siblings wanted to move out like Arachne had, they'd need to know how to cook as well.  
  
He wasn't going to let his siblings get sick while eating everything raw after all- what kind of older brother would he even be if he did?  
  
A little later, Marik would find himself alone while only halfway between the third and fourth floors of the Zavriel home, and after looking to all sides of him to make sure he wasn't about to see another sibling head his way, he then pressed his back against the inner wall, and after extending one of his claws, tapped a very specific knot.  
  
What followed, was a soft click, followed by the section of wall spinning as Marik went into the hidden chamber behind it. While the hidden room was known only to himself, Arachne, his mother and the Leviathan Twins- Oceana and Roy out in the lake, he hadn't really seen it necessary to let his other siblings know about the room or more importantly, what it held within.  
  
"Hello again, Marik."  
  
As Marik snapped his fingers to activate the magically charged crystals embedded into the walls of the room and provide some light, he simply stared rather apathetically at the owner of the voice he had just heard.  
  
"Oh. You're in your true form this time." Marik said plainly, "I'm really not sure what's worse: the fact you're showing me that form again, or the fact I'm no longer phased by it."  
  
As the other being's true form just so happened to be a feminine, angelic creature with various windows scattered upon its six wings- if they could be called that at all, considering the 'feathers' seemed more like shards of glass or light in a multitude of colors. The creature, also seemed to have three faces- one looking right at Marik, while the other two were placed looking either to the left or right- while the nine eyes it had resembled frosted blue glass, with most of them looking normal enough with their oval shape while the right eye on the face that looked at Marik was nothing but a plain circle which reminded the manticore-fae of a monocle. Of course, with the exception of the "Monocle" and the third eye on each face, there also seemed to be markings around the eyes that resembled similar ones he'd seen on a falcon or every once in a while.  
  
As for the rest of the being's body, it looked human enough- save for the extra two arms coming out of its sides halfway between the shoulders and waist, as well as the fact that it had no legs, but rather a pointed pendulum making up its lower body. The being also had no flesh to speak of- as its body seemed to be made of mercury, while there were also parts of it made of black glass that helped give it a more refined appearance- especially as there were bits of glass that resembled a loose bow-tie on its neck, gloves on its hands and finally a bit of decoration going down its chest and the fin-like protrusions on its hips that resembled coat-tails. As for other things Marik saw in the being, they consisted of a series of constantly turning sand-glasses embedded in its chest, a golden orb in its upper-right hand and finally, chains of light binding the being to the very core of the great and ancient tree Marik called home.  
  
To an outsider, this being would be considered a monster, something so alien that it could be maddening.  
  
To Marik Zavriel, it was known as Aeon the Caster of Judgement, one of the very same twenty three Arcana Magi Tarotica Major made by the Blue Faerie Empire during the war- and also the only "Good" one among those abominations as far as he was concerned.  
  
"I could take on my other form if you would like?" Aeon said, its voice sounding both like a man and a woman, and yet clear despite not having a mouth.  
  
"No thanks." Marik said with a scoff, "I'm more used to your true form anyway."  
  
"Very well." Aeon said then, "How are things going? You did say you did not want me using my abilities to look directly into your life anymore."  
  
"Well, let's see." Marik said in annoyance "In the last four months, Renee was captured by a mage who was temporarily her husband, mistreated her in rather disgusting ways, rescued by me and her father when I found her two months later in Bella Aquae, the bastard mage was cursed and recently, came to town trying to take her back, only for a local knight to become Renee's new betrothed thanks to the bastard's shenanigans, and as part of a tantrum, managed to curse some girls in the village. Oh, and let's _not even get_ into the fact that even before that mess with that idiot mage happened, I've been on edge more than usual for the past half-year!"  
  
"So you actually left the colony for a bit. Impressive." Aeon said dryly, while also earning a glare from Marik as a result, "Though, you will have to leave home yet again- as your role in events to come is not yet finished."  
  
"Cut the cryptics, Aeon." Marik said bluntly, "Why exactly will I need to leave home? Is another one of my siblings to be kidnapped? Or is that damn princess of Draconia set to awaken soon? I swear, if it _is_ the latter, or hell, _anything_ involving her actions and Draconia's fall, I've already sworn-"  
  
"It has nothing to do with Sara Drake, Marik." Aeon said, cutting the manticore-fae off and also earning a growl from Marik as well.  
  
"I thought I told you to never say her name." Marik then growled, "And if it's not involving her, then what exactly, is so damn important that my story must have another _disastrous_ chapter outside of my home?"  
  
"Bowie has been released." Aeon said bluntly.  
  
"What." Marik said, his wings flexing in anger as he tried to stay calm, "If that's true, then he best be dead."  
  
"The woman in red who released him has made sure to nurse him back to health." Aeon said- as Marik let out a trumpeting roar.  
  
"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Marik said, "How could anyone have possibly known what happened when I was ten!? The part about me at Bowie's trial- hell, _the trial itself_ was made obscure to history! And that one book that held information about it at all was destroyed in a fire when Draconia fell!"  
  
"Apparently, fate had other ideas." Aeon said with a sigh as it waited for Marik to finish before adding, "Also... I am afraid it gets much worse."  
  
Marik then paused, before slowly turning towards Aeon and glaring daggers at the Arcana Magus, "How exactly, could this get _worse?"  
_  
"Karas has been unsealed."  
  
"Of. Fucking. Course." Marik said, using his stinger to blast his venom at a nearby wall- which looked like it had been used for target practice due to the lime-green stains upon the wood grain. "I thought that bottle he was sealed in was well hidden, and made unbreakable! Not to mention thrown into the fucking ocean, inside a book of lead placed inside a stone casket and sealed by volcanads and Aedan himself using their magic to weld the lid so that it could be seen as one solid block! How the hell did Karas get freed!?"  
  
"From what I saw in the past, Marik, was that some one found Karas' prison, while the casket was broken, the book opened and the bottle's cork pulled out over the course of 300 years." Aeon said, showing the details through one of the windows within its wings.  
  
"I should have known humans would have done something so... stupid." Marik grumbled before moving on to ask, "How exactly am I to be involved in upcoming events?"  
  
"You, along with your sister Renee, her knight, three other-worlders, a wolf, a warrior with a dragon's heart, a former mirror now free, a hidden killer and an old friend are to act on behalf of Fanterra's safety." Aeon said, causing Marik to glare.  
  
"I thought I said to cut the cryptics, Aeon." he then said in annoyance, "Just tell me who the others are-- wait. Will I be working _further_ with Renee's current betrothed? I can assume that the former mirror is Pietro- though I honestly can't see him fighting at all, but who else am I supposedly going to work with in the future? And who exactly will this 'old friend' be?"  
  
"Just because I can see the future, does not mean I am going to give you spoilers for everything." Aeon said dryly- and also looking annoyed itself as it continued, "However, I will say that you are correct about Pierre and Pietro, and that for the old friend... you remember Ethereas, do you not?"  
  
This caused Marik to look much more intrigued, though he still seemed suspicious as he responded to the Judgement Magus.  
  
"I do. Are you saying that Ethereas has escaped from where ever it was Bowie sent him?" he said, "Odd that he chooses to come back _over a millenium_ after he disappeared..."  
  
"I still do not know where he was sent," Aeon then said, "However, I do know where he is- Appledale, where you and all I foresaw to save our world shall come together. And it seems three of those heroes are in Unicorn's Blade even now."  
  
"And what will happen if I don't go along with this?" Marik asked, "You know full well what sort of world I was born into, Aeon. And I know full well that I don't like being forced to follow a specific path in my life's story... or the stories of others."  
  
"I remember." Aeon said, its tone actually sounding rather bitter as they both remembered the Blue Faerie Empire. "As for what will happen... look into the window on my lower left wing."  
  
Marik nodded and did so, walking closer to the Tarotica as he braced himself for whatever he witnessed. The future, while never set in stone due to not being written down- only plotted out and could be subject to change as he understood it, could also be something one shouldn't view unprepared. Especially if it leads to a horrible ending that needs to be averted. As the Blue Faerie had during her reign decided to control both present and future to the point she forced those who lived in the world to play out certain roles- and even the slightest deviation caused the tyrant to fall into a horrible rage as she and her godmothers did whatever was necessary to put people back on the rails and follow her plans to the letter.  
  
Thankfully, with her fall, the road a person's story could take was in their hands with faerie godmother and now godfathers only able to give suggestions, abilities or objects that would be useful later for their godchild- even if that didn't always pan out for the best.  
  
As Marik stared at the window however, he ended up seeing what looked like the return of the other twenty one Tarotica still loyal to the Empire, with Karas seated on a throne and laughing horribly as it seemed he'd started a new empire- one that seemed just as horrible as the one Marik himself was born in. Nothing but minor tarotica of cups, swords, pentacles and wands, while Aeon was forever sealed inside the Zavriel Tree.  
  
What horrified Marik most however, was that the guard for Aeon, was a Pentacle Tarotica that was nothing but a mockery of Marik himself- a lion's head with the face of a man on an artificial body made to resemble his own- even down to the scorpion stinger. Combined with the fact its body seemed... highly unnatural with spikes for arms and legs, "hands" that looked more like hinged stars, and the armored mask the Knight-Class Tarotica Minor had, if it weren't for the fact that there were scars on its body and signs of a very recent wounds- it'd make sense that it would have been mistaken for a golem. However, as Marik looked on as the Tarotica Minor's face became more visible, he saw quite clearly that... thing also seemed tormented as he heard the guard speak in a pained, and broken voice before it tried to rip itself apart.  
  
_"My family... my family... my family..."  
_  
Marik turned his head away and growled, while also swiping a claw at the window and actually scratching it as the image vanished. Of course, he knew full well what that monster he saw truly was, and if that was the price paid for inaction...  
  
"No." Marik then said as he turned towards Aeon, "I refuse... I fucking, Godsdamn _refuse_ to let Karas do that to the world! I'll go along with the plot for now Aeon, but know this- if you even try to force things along a certain path like the Blue Faerie made you to do in the first place? I'll find a way to destroy you, once and for all."  
  
"Do not worry, Marik." Aeon said quietly, "I am unable to return to my original programming- now that I know my own truth. However, I will say this- never run away from this point forward, Marik. Fleeing just once- especially before Appledale, will lead to the world of Tarotica. A horrible fate as that, is not something I'd wish on my own enemies- or any life form from any world."  
  
"I don't plan to run." Marik said before cracking his knuckles, and also giving a bit of a wicked grin, "Believe me, I have a score to settle with Karas- and I also want to _greet_ Bowie once I find whatever rock that damn Goblin is hiding under."  
  
"I am glad to hear you sound enthusiastic for once." Aeon said, "However, about the three heroes in Unicorn's Blade..."  
  
"The three travelers with Arachne, correct?" Marik asked and earned a nod from Aeon as it shifted the orb it held to its lower hands.  
  
"Correct. There is a girl among them with silver hair- I found it necessary for me to speak her in private. Once she has recovered, will you bring her to me?"  
  
Marik paused and looked at Aeon in surprise- and more suspicion. "Now that I think of it, you never once asked for anyone to visit you. What's so special about this one girl?"  
  
Aeon said nothing at first- almost as if it seemed hesitant to answer- something Marik had definitely not seen once during his meetings with the Magus.  
  
"She..." Aeon then said, "just looks like someone I knew once. In... In another life."  
  
"I'll see what I can do." Marik said, understanding what Aeon meant by 'another life.' He then headed out of the hidden room in silence while Aeon didn't even say anything in thanks or gratitude.  
  
As far as Marik was concerned, it didn't need to.

 

~0~

Meanwhile, in Thornsborough, Jotaro Kujo was faced with impending death as a barbed tentacle was heading straight for his heart- the teen bracing himself as he noticed it was too fast for him to catch on his own.  
  
"What the hell!?"  
  
Jotaro smirked a bit, his stand's sense of Self Preservation kicking in just in the nick of time as Star Platinum had managed to stop the tentacle a mere centimeter from the teen's chest.  
  
"Now, will you let me explain myself?" Jotaro then asked, while Carmen ended up trying to withdraw the tentacle, only to grunt as the purple humanoid that appeared out of nowhere had a pretty firm grip. Though, the stand also seemed intent to kick Carmen's ass as it yanked her towards it, only to pull back its arm in an attempt to punch- had Jotaro not spoken up.  
  
"Star Platinum, don't." the teen then said, causing the stand to pout as it then put Carmen down- and allowed her to absorb the tentacle back into her body while her three horns receded back into her skull.  
  
"So. What the hell do you want with Koriander the Slayer?" Carmen Wood asked, the brunette shapeshifter crossing her arms and giving an icy glare to Jotaro to match his own.  
  
"Irene Almandine suggested she'd help with an investigation going on- regarding the kidnapping of Prince Jonathan White." Jotaro said, while also noticing that Carmen looked a bit uneasy at the mention of the noblewoman- especially as she let out a quiet 'shit' before he continued. "However, when we got to town, the local blacksmith, Sue also asked us- myself and the group Irene and I were with, to find you and keep you safe from Tyler Williamson."  
  
Carmen, unimpressed, simply looked around, and even behind Jotaro before she spoke to him again.  
  
"So... where is Irene and that group you mentioned?" she said, "Because besides the purple guy, you seem to be all alone right now, Sir Dumbass of the Stupid Outfit."  
  
Jotaro ended up frowning slightly- mainly not liking this woman's tone at the moment, before he answered her.  
  
"My grandfather ran into the woods after the Alphyn we had with us, and Irene and another companion of ours were grabbed by a stone claw that came out of the mountain and captured them."  
  
"So... this group, is you, your grandpa, a snooty, firebreathing mutt, some other guy and Irene." Carmen said, not even reacting to the part about the claw while Jotaro nodded, though she did seem a bit pissed as she added, "Anyway, Irene's going to be fine- I've been planning on visiting the old fart on the mountain anyway... and if she isn't? Well, I'll blame you and the old fart- and if you're lying to me about Irene being in town, you're going to wish you didn't."  
  
_"Old Fart?"_ Jotaro thought, raising an eyebrow- though the visor of his cap did hide that reaction. Of course, as Carmen then turned and signal that he and his stand follow her, he did note that she certainly matched the description Maria gave him- a bit too exactly now that he thought about it.  
  
"So, I take it you know someone who lives on the mountain?" Jotaro then asked, "Most likely who summoned that claw?"  
  
"No, I just said that for kicks." Carmen said sarcastically, "Of course I do, Sir Dumbass, but I'm not going to give you their name- the bastard likes to do his own introductions."  
  
"I _said_ my name was Jotaro Kujo." the teen said in annoyance, "So stop calling me Sir Dumbass."  
  
"Only when you stop saying stupid things." Carmen said, moving a hand up as she walked before raising her middle finger and pinky. Of course, the meaning of the gesture was lost on the Japanese teenager, but he decided not to ask and move on.  
  
"So... Maria said you'd be out here." he then said, trying to use a bit of conversation to try and get some information out of Carmen.  
  
"Yeah... I figured that out, Genius." Carmen said bluntly, "She's the town gossip. I'd be surprised if you _didn't_ talk to her."  
  
"So... why does she know your measurements?" Jotaro then asked, causing Carmen to stop, turn around, and slap Jotaro- apparently blushing quite a bit as she turned back around and kept walking.  
  
"Fucking, ex-criminal intel gatherer..." Jotaro then heard Carmen mutter- that comment alone being enough for the teen to not ask any further.  
  
"So... anything you can tell me about the area- our guide, Pietro is with Irene for now, and since you're here often, you may know more th--"  
  
"How about you shut the hell up?" Carmen then said, "Sue may think I need protecting from a moron like Tyler, but if you keep bugging me, I'll beat the crap out of you- even if you are a damn knight of Miravel!"  
  
"Yare Yare Daze..." Jotaro grumbled under his breath, lowering his cap over his eyes and also deciding to just keep Star Platinum out in case of trouble- other than Carmen Wood. Of course, while he wouldn't normally stand down when someone threatened him, as the curse made him stick with Sue's request to keep Carmen safe- even if he couldn't stand her at the moment, he had a feeling that if he froze up when trying to help Irene and Pietro, attempting to hurt Carmen himself would also end badly.  
  
Not to mention he had a hunch that Carmen could indeed carry out her threat.  
  
For the next few minutes, the trio was silent, with Jotaro keeping an eye out for trouble with Star Platinum, and Carmen just minding her own business as she didn't feel like getting to know her unwanted bodyguard. In fact, the landscape, and the peace and quiet was actually very nice. In fact, if Jotaro didn't have a job to do finding Veronica Zeppeli, finding a kidnapped prince and also finding a way back to his world so he could see his mother again- and alive, he'd probably consider living in a place like Thornsborough.  
  
Especially if it was near the ocean so he could study the local sea life.  
  
Unfortunately, that peace was destroyed as soon as Jotaro heard something that made him stop and cringe, and then shake with anger. Mainly since it sounded a lot like a sped up saxophone.  
  
As Carmen heard the noise as well, she stopped and turned- before looking a bit confused at Jotaro for the moment. Unfortunately, before she could speak though, a new voice rang through the air.  
  
_"TEQUILAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!~"  
_  
As human, shapeshifter and stand looked at the source of the voice, they saw a strange, purple creature with a long horn and one big eye, long spindly limbs, pigeon feet and finally white short-shorts in the sky above them. Of course as it seemed to be coming towards them- and also looking hungry with how it showed a very sharp-toothed grin glistening with drool, Jotaro at first thought it was going to try and attack Carmen.  
  
That is, until he saw its big eye move and become focused on Star Platinum. Watching and listening as the thing let out a few notes from its horn before shouting "CHARGE!" as it made a beeline towards Jotaro's Stand. As Star Platinum prepared to punch the thing though, the three travelers would immediately notice that the creature didn't even want to try and dodge- it's mouth instead wide open as Star Platinum's fist headed straight towards its face.  
  
Instead of the thing being thrown back, what happened instead was the sound of flesh being torn as the monster bit Star Platinum's hand- the injury also showing on Jotaro as Carmen watched the teen's glove tear and blood come out of his skin.  
  
"Get rid of that thing!" Carmen snapped as she realized that the two were connected- and as Jotaro willed Star Platinum away, the creature seemed confused and very irritated about its meal being taken away so easily.  
  
"Purple is gone!?" the creature said, stomping its foot on the ground like a five year old throwing a tantrum, "Bring Purple back! I want to eat Purple! I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!"  
  
As the creature seemed to ignore Carmen and Jotaro for now, the shapeshifter simply looked at the teen and spoke up.  
  
"Can you at least punch with your other hand?" she asked, and after Jotaro gave her a nod, she then added, "Good. Cause I have an idea, and I hope you can follow my lead."  
  
Before Jotaro could ask though, Carmen then simply exhaled as she turned her skin and hair purple, before speaking whistling and getting the monster's attention as she spoke up.  
  
"Hey brat," she said, "What's with the stupid shorts, anyway?"  
  
"I like short shorts!" the creature cried, offended by Carmen's question before its hunger took over and it lunged at her. Of course, as Carmen smirked, she then shifted her arm into a bundle of vines- using them to grab the monster and throw him away from the two as she turned back to normal.  
  
"Get ready." Carmen then said to Jotaro as she then raised both her arms- and also shifted two more out of her body while her dress seemed to change along with her to compensate- before she extended a blade from one, turned another arm into a claw like a lizard of some kind, and the two new ones she sprouted from her back seemed to look more like a spider's legs to Jotaro. Of course, the teen didn't say a word as he then raised his uninjured fist- having pulled out a handkerchief to use as a makeshift bandage on the other while Carmen did her thing, and simply glared as the monster got on all fours and glared at the two.  
  
"TEQUILA!" the creature cried out, before leaping upward and using its glider-wings to try and take advantage of the battle at hand- before Carmen fired something from the extra limbs on her back that put a few holes in the monster's wings.  
  
"So,weren't you afraid of being eaten by that thing?" Jotaro said, he and Carmen running in as the monster fell towards the ground.  
  
"Dealt with worse." Carmen said in annoyance as she then fired a web from her lizard claw- apparently shifting spinnerets into her palm, in order to form a net to catch the monster- or at least grab it as it turned out to still be able to maneuver through the air despite the holes in its wings. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the damsel in distress type, Sir Dumbass."  
  
"That's for sure." Jotaro said flatly, just as Carmen managed to grab the monster and begin reeling it in. "Where'd you learn to fight anyway?"  
  
"Self taught." Carmen said, pulling the monster close before swinging it towards Jotaro- who then delivered a punch to send it back. "What about you? You seem to be a pretty good fighter for... what, twenty four? Twenty three?"  
  
"I'm seventeen." Jotaro said, as he and Carmen ended up in a game of punch tennis with the creature being the unlucky ball, "Also self taught."  
  
"Seventeen? Really?" Carmen said in surprise, "You seemed a bit older than that. So, think he's had enough?"  
  
"Not yet." Jotaro said, just before he ended up next to Carmen as the monster was reeled in towards them once last time, "Just need to get to the perfect angle for one last punch!"  
  
"Oh, I know what you mean." Carmen said, as both she and Jotaro pulled their arms back and deliver a hell of a blow to the creature. As the web snapped upon impact, the thing ended up flying to the other side of the road, landing in a bruised heap as Carmen shifted herself mostly back to normal- her blade still out as she walked over to it and nudged it with her foot to check for lifesigns. Seeing that it was dead though, she then gave a quick swipe of her arm, what seemed to be a blade of light following after as she sliced off the monster's horn, and then proceeded to dissect it as she pulled out its eye, tongue, teeth, and finally removed the wings before sending out a stream of cloth from her hands- most likely weaving threads she produced together at high speed thanks to her abilities as a shapeshifter, and wrapping the tongue as carefully as possible with a newly made handkerchief.  
  
As for the other parts, she put the giant eye into a jar, folded up the wings and slipped them into her bag as carefully as possible, and then slipped the horn into her apron's pocket before seemingly absorbing the blood into her skin to clean up. After that, she then got up, walked over to Jotaro and frowned.  
  
"Okay, show me the hand." she said, reaching into another pocket of her apron and pulling out a jar of some sort of pinkish salve. As Jotaro did so and Carmen used her abilities to bring out extra arms to hold the jar and also create an actual bandage as she removed the handkerchief and rubbed the salve on to the injury- she did pause as she saw the black mark on Jotaro's hand.  
  
"Interesting Tattoo." she said, raising an eyebrow as she examined the symbol of a sword in front of a simple helmet. "Looks a lot like the Soldier sign in that game, Class Clash..."  
  
"Class Clash?" Jotaro said, while Carmen wrapped up his injury- and he also noted that salve didn't even sting a bit, though it did seem to warm up his hand a good bit instead.  
  
"Card game that's played in Spherean." Carmen said, "Weird you have a sign from it on your hand but not know the game it came from. Want to explain?"  
  
"It's... complicated." Jotaro said, "How's it played?"  
  
"Two players have a deck of 36 cards, with suits of Cups, Coins, Blades and Wands, and nine 'Class Types' for each suit. Rogues are the lowest rank, and are followed in order by Farmer, Huntsman, Blacksmith, Soldier, Knight, Magician and the highest being both Prince and Princess. If the Class Type is a higher rank than your opponents, than usually you win, but Rogues beat Prince and Princess to add some form of fairness. Of course, the suit you use can also factor in to whether or not you win- Cup holds the Coins but is destroyed by Blades. Coins thrown hard enough at a Wand can break it, but can be caught in a Cup, and Wands can be used to overpower the might of the Blades, but lose to the Coins. Anyway, when you win, you can capture your opponents cards, and keep them on your side until the end of the game- which happens when all cards are played in the game."  
  
Jotaro said nothing as he took this information into account, especially since it seemed to be tied- somehow, to the at least the mark on his hand, as well as the mark on Joseph and possibly the mark on Veronica as well. What a cardgame had to do with them exactly, other than apparently sharing symbols, he wasn't sure, but hopefully he'd find out soon enough.  
  
"And done." Carmen said as she finished treating Jotaro's hand. "Try not to rub your eyes with that hand before its fully healed. The salve is made with puck root, and while it can be useful in healing, it can also make you fall for the first person you see if it gets in your eyes... and from what I've seen, it is not fun when that happens."  
  
"Thanks." Jotaro said, putting his hand in his pocket, "So... what was that creature we fought, anyway?"  
  
"You're a knight of Miravel, and you've never seen a Shebwooly?" Carmen said, "I'm guessing it's also complicated?"  
  
"Yes." Jotaro said, before moving along the road, "Are... Shebwoolies common around here?"  
  
"Nope, you can usually find them around White Mountain normally. Not to mention their eyes and tongues can be used in medicine, their horns can be sold for a high price, and the glider membranes they use to fly can also be used to make some pretty good jerky once its dried and smoked." Carmen said, heading after Jotaro and walking next to him, "For some reason though, that one showed up, took some kid's shorts for itself, and decided to hang around my family's Galapaga before I came to town a few months ago."  
  
"What's a Galapaga?" Jotaro asked, causing Carmen to stop and frown at Jotaro.  
  
"It's what shapeshifters call their family graveyards, Sir Dumbass." Carmen said bluntly, "because when we die we turn into goo called Primordia, new species of plants can sprout out of the ground we seep into, or if some idiot touches our remains, it can also cause some new species of animal to exist as well- and usually enough to ensure it lasts a little while at least."  
  
"I see." Jotaro said, having stopped for the moment as well before he started walking again- and while he was a bit worried about his grandfather- if his hunch about the Wood Family's Galapaga being in that forest was correct, he found himself unable to go into it and check thanks to the curse. Of course, as he realized Carmen wasn't walking with him, he turned and saw her with her hands on her hips and looking very annoyed at him.  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked, stopping once again as Carmen moved towards him.  
  
"Okay, spill it." she said, "There's only one way a guy from Fanterra could not know much about the world, but thanks to your get up, I highly doubt a shapeshifter gave you a kiss of life to your fresh corpse. So, where the hell are you from, and just who are you really?"  
  
"My name really is Jotaro Kujo." the teen then said after a moment, "My grandpa and I are from another world called Earth, populated by regular humans, and if it weren't for some unexpected trouble..."  
  
He then proceeded to give the short version of his recent Bizarre Adventure, followed by the shenanigans caused by Heirophant Black in his world before winding up in Fanterra. Once he finished though, Carmen let out a groan as she rubbed her temples.  
  
"I. Hate. Magic." she said as she began walking again and also moved passed the teen, "If it's not causing a person to have their lives ruined by some asshole or making someone into some bastard's puppet, it's pulling shit like what you described. And with that mage Tyler in town.... Ugh, tell me you didn't run into him."  
  
"We did." Jotaro said with a growl, "Bastard cursed me too."  
  
"Let me guess." Carmen then said, as she looked over her shoulder towards him, "That curse is what caused you to stand by with your thumb up your ass while Irene and that other guy got caught?"  
  
"Yeah." Jotaro said pulling out his notebook and writing a few things down on Tyler's 'reciept' once it was time to pay the piper.  
  
"Yeah... last time Sue sent someone out to protect me? Tyler got him too. Became so focused on the job and getting a reward from me... he ended up being killed by Vararch while it was passing through." Carmen said, before mumbling something Jotaro swore sounded like "I swear I can't get away from that damn thing."  
  
"Is there anyway to undo the curse?" Jotaro then asked, causing Carmen to shrug.  
  
"Beats the hell out of me." she said, "Hoepfully the old fart on the mountain might know how to break it- but if its true love? You're probably shit out of luck there."  
  
Jotaro said nothing, just putting his notebook away for now as he kept walking after Carmen, eyeing the area around them for more trouble. Of course there was one thing that did bug him still...  
  
"Just what is Vararch anyway?"  
  
"You don't want to know."

 

~0~

Meanwhile, in the woods, Joseph Joestar had finally reached the clearing Hermit Purple had showed him Alphonse would be found. While he did take a moment to let his eyes readjust to sunlight after walking through those dark woods, once they did he saw that the area had patches of different flowers- though each patch did seem to focus on one or two colors despite also looking they grew wild.  
  
More importantly however, he saw that Alphonse was resting under a large tree that seemed to have what looked like a woman's figure popping out of the trunk, the beast letting out a yawn as Joseph also noticed the Alphyn wasn't alone. As the brunette walked into the clearing, he looked towards Alphonse's companion- a man with a hooded cloak, a pair of black pants, brown boots and a white shirt on his body just scratching behind Alphonse's ear while a bird sat on the stranger's shoulder.  
  
Of course, as Alphonse sniffed around, he perked up a bit as he spotted Joseph and ran towards the man, barking happily as he tackled Joseph to the ground and licked the man's face with his long tongue. As for the cloaked man, he simply watched and remained quiet for the moment.  
  
"H-Hey, yeah, it's me Alphonse, it's good to see you too!" Joseph said with a laugh- before gagging as Alphonse accidentally slipped his tongue into the man's mouth while he spoke. Doing his best to push the Alphyn off him and sit up while trying to get the taste of fire breathing dragon-dog spit out of his mouth, he would find himself being offered a hand by the cloaked stranger- the other man's face obscured by the shadows of his hood.  
  
"I see there's another visitor for me today." the stranger said while helping the brunette- while Joseph couldn't help but find the man's voice oddly familiar. "Are you lost, by any chance?"  
  
"No, no, I actually knew where I was going- since I was trying to find Alphonse, here." Joseph said as he dusted himself off and grinned, before humming a bit as he looked around the clearing, "So... what is with this place, anyway? Never thought I'd see so many strange things in one area."  
  
"This is the Wood Family Galapaga, or Graveyard." the stranger said, raising a hand and holding it out in greeting, "I'm the Caretaker, John Wood."  
  
Remembering what happened when he was splashed by the remains of one Sharon Sharifti, and combined it with what he saw in the forest, Joseph then realized that it made perfect sense that all the weird crap he'd seen was due to dead shapeshifters. However, as John introduced himself, he also noted that no one mentioned another Wood living in Thornsborough other than Carmen- which seemed pretty suspicious in his opinion.  
  
"Joseph Joestar, it's damn nice to meet you." Joseph then said, pretending that nothing was wrong as he shook John's hand. "Are you a shapeshifter as well, John?"  
  
"I... actually don't know what I am." John said, causing Joseph to raise an eyebrow, "My late wife, Sylvia was a shapeshifter, and well... she saved my life when I met her years ago. I was dead at the time of course, but she still brought me back... at the price of my memories being forever lost."  
  
"Wait, how did she bring you back from the dead?" Joseph asked, "I heard shapeshifters can't use magic?"  
  
"It's true, they can't." John said, "But... shapeshifters can sacrifice a stabilizer to bring back the recently deceased through a kiss. However, if there is no familiar face around for the revived to recognize... that person loses all their memories of who they were before."  
  
"Wow, that's a pretty nasty downside if you're all alone when you're brought back." Joseph said with a shrug- while also making mental note that if he didn't think he was human, then John must have been something else entirely. Hopefully, conversation could help the brunette find answers without turning it into a direct interrogation. As he looked around the clearing, he then hummed a bit as he then asked another question.  
  
"So... which one of these is Sylvia?"  
  
"Oh, she's over there." John said happily as he pointed towards the tree- and as Joseph moved closer, saw that the womanly figure that seemed fused to the tree was actually a lot more detailed under the bark than he realized- in fact, he could have sworn that she could probably open her eyes at any moment with how real it seemed. "Though, I must ask you this- why were you and Alphonse in the forest in the first place?"  
  
"Well, the blacksmith in town, a big guy named Sue, asked me and my companions to find Carmen Wood and keep an eye on her in case of trouble." Joseph said calmly, "But, when we got to a fork in the road, Alphonse ran into the woods and I offered to go after him while the rest of our group went down the other road."  
  
"I don't know why anyone would think that Carmen needs protection." John said, "She's an adult, and she can take care of herself well enough in a fight if she has to."  
  
"And how do you know that?" Joseph asked, while also noticing John seem almost embarrassed by how he flinched and held himself.  
  
"W-Well... I may not look it, but... I am her great-grandfather..." he said, causing Joseph to feel alarm bells ring in his mind, while outwardly seeming like he didn't care as John continued, "I did teach her a couple of things when she arrived in Thornsborough... twenty five years after her mother left for Spherean with that damn mage she married, Robiard Kisahs."  
  
"I'm guessing he was a nasty guy?" Joseph said flatly, having his own disapproval of his son in law, Sadao Kujo.  
  
"That's putting it quite kindly." John said sarcastically, "Honestly, when Carmen told me he caused my own granddaughter's death, I wanted to destroy him!"  
  
"Did you?" Joseph asked, only for John to shake his head.  
  
"No, Carmen had already taken care of the monster, how, I don't know as she has yet to tell me."  
  
Joseph cringed a bit, not having expected the apothecary Sue had wanted them to protect had performed Patricide, possibly went back to her mother's maiden name before coming to Thornsborough. However, as he thought about the situation, it seemed that if Kisahs was as awful as implied to actually deserve death, then it probably make sense that Carmen would come to where her mother grew up, and probably get to know family she might not have seen while in Spherean.  
  
"Has Carmen been by to visit you today?" Joseph then asked, only for John to shake his head.  
  
"No, she only visits me for advice Silvas could not give her, or if she needed help in the shop or filling an order... as rare as it is she asks for help." John then said, while Joseph picked up on something immediately.  
  
"Silvas, as in the mountain?" he said, "So... is the rumor true about her being related to a dragon?"  
  
"Yes, though my father in law does care about his blood relations, he is also... different from other dragons." John said, though a bit bitterly as Joseph figured that Silvas apparently didn't think to highly of John for some reason.  
  
"Different how, exactly?" Joseph then asked, finding that a bit odd to say.  
  
"Silvas has moved far beyond his kind's usual tendencies of greed and as a result... evolved into something else."  
  
"What." Joseph said, unamused by the riddle, "The hell does that even mean?"

 

~0~

Pietro let out a groan as he woke up, last thing he remembered was passing out as he and Irene were captured by that stone claw and brought into the mountain. As he couldn't see anything at first, he then blinked a couple of times in order to activate his night vision. As this caused his eyes to glow, and his normally round pupils to become a pair of rectangles- and as a result much more deer-like, he then sat up and took in his surroundings and noticed three things.  
  
First, was that he was inside a cavern alcove with columns on one end of the room forming bars- as if it was formed into a natural prison.  
  
Second, was that his shoulders were missing a familiar weight as he realized his backpack had gone missing.  
  
Third, Irene was next to him on the ground, and starting to come to as well.  
  
"Where...?" she mumbled, before Pietro saw her eyes widen as she screamed and ended up kicking him in the shoulder while she scrambled back. "What the hell!?"  
  
"Ow... Irene, I know I should have said something, but your scream did hurt my ears..." Pietro said, rubbing his shoulder and letting out a pained creak, "Also, sorry about the eyes, part of the reason I don't like using my night vision that often."  
  
"Oh! Sorry Pietro." Irene said, once she recognized the voice, "Hold on, let me pull out a stone and provide some light."  
  
"Um... about that..." Pietro said as he watched Irene feel around for her gem pouch, only for his attempt to tell her what happened to their things to fail.  
  
"My-My gems!" she said as she realized her things were taken as well, "What happened to them? And my sword's gone as well from the looks of things..."  
  
"I assume that whatever brought us here had taken our things in order to try to make it much more difficult to escape." Pietro said, "My backpack is gone too."  
  
"Escape?" Irene asked, while Pietro sighed.  
  
"We're in a cavern alcove, one with columns forming prison bars- in a sense, to try and keep us in this room."  
  
"Which means we're probably stuck here until whoever put us in here comes by to take us out or hopefully bring in a meal?" Irene asked, worried that she'd be starved to death.  
  
"I said _to try_ to keep us in this room, as well as _to try_ and make it much more difficult to escape." Pietro then said, smiling in the dark as his tone suggested that their captor may have overlooked something.  
  
"Pietro, you can just scry with mirrors or reflective surfaces, I don't see how that can get us out of here." Irene said, "And without my magic- since even my sun stone is missing, I can't just blast us out of here. What could you possibly do? Not to mention we don't know how we got into this chamber in the first place!"  
  
"For how we got in, I theorize that whatever grabbed us, most likely has control over the entire mountain's structure, meaning that it could have formed the columns itself." Pietro said, while Irene seemed a bit horrified.  
  
"What could possibly have enough power to manipulate an entire mountain?"  
  
"I... have absolutely no idea." Pietro said with a sigh, "However, I do know how I'll get both of us out of this room."  
  
"And how are you going to do that!?" Irene snapped, only for Pietro to say nothing as he walked to the columns and looked at them with his night vision.  
  
Solid granite, formed naturally from how it first appeared to the stag, until he felt it and noticed instead of it being slick with water and covered with ridges and grooves like a normal column would have been, it was smooth. _Too smooth_ in fact, as Pietro recalled once, when he was nineteen years of age, going into a cavern to study the plant life rumored to grow in a sunlit chamber deep within. Not to mention these columns were dry to the touch, indicating they had been made artificially with geomancy. Of course, as it didn't crumble at his touch like he hoped it would as he recalled how he could deactivate magical objects just by being in contact with them, he then realized that the magic used to alter the area was more spontaneous than actual enchantments. As the stag continued to examine the column while Irene stayed where she was in the dark, Pietro hummed to himself as he also noted other things about the 'prison bars' he was faced with.  
  
_"Twenty inches in diameter. Eight columns total, which means two going down should be enough to break out. Height is about 12 feet."_ he thought to himself, before smirking, _"Child's play."  
_  
Next thing Irene would hear, would be the sound of something cracking a few times before she heard stone crumble away, causing her to panic as she spoke up.  
  
"P-Pietro, what was that?" she said, still unable to see as she heard foot steps head towards her, followed by Pietro's voice.  
  
"Just me kicking the stone apart so we could get out." he said happily, Irene looking up at his glowing eyes in concern and shock.  
  
"You... what." she said as Pietro took her hand in his own and led her out of their cell. "You kicked... through solid stone."  
  
"Well, yes." Pietro said as if this was normal, "Didn't help me get out of the mirror, and I did try quite a bit for fifty years, but I'm not a weakling like you thought me to be... even if I never did state just how strong I truly am."  
  
"Well, if you're so strong, why don't you actually fight, instead of step in and act as a living shield for magic?" Irene then asked, "Also, are you alright? You did kick through solid granite..."  
  
"I'm fine physically." Pietro said, though the other question did cause him to squeeze Irene's hand with a bit of unease as he thought about her other question. "As for why I choose not to fight, I'm afraid of what will happen if I do."  
  
"What do you mean?" Irene asked, a bit confused, "Herbivore based Bestials can't go into a feral state like a wolf or lion, what do you have to worry about if you do fight?"  
  
"My family were well known fighters when they're pushed too hard." Pietro said, "My father murdered a mage while still a stag, and my aunt Cassandra... well, she's the most trigger happy woman I know when it comes to mages, and even better as a warrior than my father. Combined with the fact my mother could shoot arrows of magic from her golden eye, well, they can be rather violent when provoked. Even my sister has some skill as a fighter, and she's only half as strong as I. However, while fighting is in my blood, I fear what may happen when I do fight- my family can get a little too into a battle at times, and if the same is true for myself, I worry I may enjoy it too much... and worst case scenario may mean I become a monster as well."  
  
"Sometimes you have to fight when being just a shield or running away isn't enough." Irene said, "You've proven you can take a hit for us when magic is involved, but you never hit back. Hell, just because it's in your blood doesn't mean it always affects who you are, Pietro. How do I know there isn't another reason?"  
  
"There is." Pietro said quietly, "And it involves my kicking strength being enough to dent Adamantine."  
  
"Y-You're kidding, right?" Irene said in disbelief, "There's no way anyone human can dent Adamantine on their own power, it's the second strongest material in Fanterra, just next to Amecite... I mean, you're too short to have been suckled by a giant, so... so there's no way you can be _that_ strong! You... You have to be exaggerating!"  
  
"Irene, I'm unable to lie." Pietro said sadly, "Jonathan told you that, didn't he? This means that I can't exaggerate things either."  
  
Irene said nothing in response, remembering that her beloved did mention Pietro's inability to lie, but she had never thought just to what extent that inability had to Pietro. Of course, to realize that he really was as strong as he said was what made the stag that much more frightening. Sure, he had been known to make those who harmed the people he cared for suffer immensely while he was in the mirror, but now that he was out...  
  
It may have been best to not make him fight after all.  
  
"How did you find out?" Irene asked, also remembering that Pietro's inability to lie was limited by his personal knowledge, which meant that if he knew how strong he was, he had to have found out somehow in his personal experience.  
  
"I won't go into specifics." Pietro said coldly, "But if you must know, I will say that the day I discovered my strength, was a terrible one indeed."  
  
Before Irene could say anything in response, Pietro soon stopped as both of them spotted a light on part of the wall ahead of them. As Pietro then turned his night vision off so he wouldn't go blind, he then turned and signaled to Irene to be quiet, making a "shh" sound in case she still couldn't see around them. As Irene nodded and followed his lead, the two then crept quietly along the wall, until they stopped when Pietro froze and sniffed the air just at the passage that provided the soft, bluish-white light they saw. As Pietro then cautiously looked around the corner- while also making sure Irene stayed where she was, he then gulped as he soon pressed himself against the wall, looking rather panicked.  
  
"What is it?" Irene whispered, having been pressed against the wall as well thanks to the stag still holding her hand.  
  
Pietro however, merely looked towards Irene, and whispered back a few words that made her become filled with terror.  
  
_"We are in a dragon's lair."_  
  
Before either could try and run, another stone claw then popped out of the wall and grabbed them from behind, pulling them through the stone and into the dragon's presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the Vocaloid Song, "Time Forgotten One."
> 
> So, this chapter starts off with Renee and Marik chatting, and also revealing a bit more detail about just how bad Renee's brief marriage to Netanel actually was. I won't say anymore than this though, and just leave the implications up to you. 
> 
> Next, we meet the being that Karas didn't like so much, Aeon the Caster of Judgement. For Aeon's true form, I ended up mixing a bit of Hindu Deity, a few Eyes of Re, the wings used in Tales of Symphonia for Mithos Yggdrasil's child form, a few windows and Aeon from Castlevania Judgement for everything else about this Aeon's appearance.
> 
> Of course, this chapter also reveals that besides the Tarotica Majors, there are also Minor ones that represent the four suits, or minor arcana of the Tarot: Swords, Wands, Pentacles and Cups.... as well as possibly give a hint on what a Tarotica in general might come from...
> 
> Oh, and it seems that Marik has quite a history, though unlike Bowie and Karas, he seems to have a major hatred for Sara Drake to the point of forbidding the slightest mention of her name... and possibly involvement in what happened to the Lost Kingdom of Draconia that's tied to Wamu's amulet, the Heart of Draco...
> 
> As for Karas being sealed, and the layers of security thrown into it, let's just say that Karas while one of the stronger Tarotica Majors, he was also the smartest of them... and was pretty much a major pain in the ass to deal with for Puck's Rebellion. So, they decided to try and make sure he couldn't escape by not just putting him in a bottle, placing the bottle in a lead book (as in a jewelry box that opens like a book), putting that inside a stone casket that was welded shut by high level fire magic, and then chucking it into the ocean JUST to make sure no one would stumble upon Karas' prison and smash it open. 
> 
> Sadly, it didn't do much in the end.
> 
> Meanwhile, on the Jotaro side of things, it seems after almost being killed by her, he (hopefully) bonds a bit with Carmen Wood... who I'm kind of not sure if she's acting like someone from JJBA as a whole or not just yet. Also, that gesture Carmen made with her middle finger and pinkie?
> 
> That is the Miravellian hand sign for "Fuck You." So yeah, she pretty much just flipped off Jotaro.
> 
> As for the short lived return and end of the Flying Purple People Eater, it seems that there is a species of the things at White Mountain, and... they may not be that intelligent, judging by how the one in short-shorts acted before its death.... also, Carmen and Jotaro's combo is kind of meant to evoke a DHA from Eyes of Heaven. Hopefully, I pulled that off.
> 
> Hell, I personally hope that entire fight was as fun as one you'd see in JJBA.
> 
> As for Joseph, uh... next chapter is going to be involve a hell of a surprise for him. 
> 
> Finally, in the last part of the chapter with Pietro and Irene, well... with Irene unable to use her magic, Pietro gets to show what he's capable of... besides being a magic search engine, guide book, and well, anti-magic meat shield for Team Jojo. 
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: Meet Silvas.


	14. In the Hall of the Mountain King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When captured by a dragon, Team Jojo must admit some truths about themselves if they wish to be set free...

"Well, we're just about there." Carmen said as she drew Jotaro from his thoughts. As the teen had been thinking about how Carmen seemed to be able to handle herself so well in a fight yet the fact that Sue still wanted someone to protect her seemed odd to him, as did the fact that she pretty much tried to kill him when he asked about Koriander the Slayer. As he thought about the latter though, he did find it highly suspicious that anyone's response to being asked about a murderer was to attack, rather than answer.  
  
Of course, as Carmen's voice had gotten his attention before he could think further on that line of thought, he then looked around and noticed that the area around them seemed like a dead end. As Carmen stood before a large briar of slumberthorn that separated her from a sheer cliff and a very thick forest straight ahead of them from the road, Jotaro glared as he looked towards the shapeshifting Apothecary and spoke.  
  
"Is this a trap?" he asked, only for Carmen to let out a groan.  
  
"Do you see anyone in the slumberthorn?" she asked, causing Jotaro to bring out his stand to help investigate the brier a bit better.  
  
"No." he said a minute or two later.  
  
"Sweet Grimm..." Carmen said as she crossed her arms, "I can understand why you'd think this is a trap, considering how I tried to kill you before, but if I did want to get rid of you, I wouldn't use slumber thorn. Besides, just throwing people into it and ignoring them will just cause me a lot more headaches once some traveler comes by and starts thinking that there's something on top of the cliff worth finding."  
  
"Is there?" Jotaro asked, and noticed that Carmen herself seemed to get extra annoyed as well.  
  
"Yeah, the guy I usually visit this time of day lives in a hidden cave at the top." Carmen said flatly, "He's not to fond of travelers coming into his home, trying to ask for advice on how to get whichever princess or treasure from whatever tower, dungeon, glass hill, island or whatever else you can find them, in order to impress whoever the asshole is that's too damn lazy to try and get it themselves. So, he just makes it as difficult as possible for people to even get to his home in the first place."  
  
"In order to test anyone looking for him and see if they are that determined to get what they need?" Jotaro asked, remembering how in some fairy tales, a hero would go through trials in order to get a tool or a strategy that would help them attain their goal.  
  
"What? No!" Carmen said, looking at Jotaro as if he was being an idiot, "He does it so he can have some damn peace and quiet! I mean, if you were wise enough to be sought for by every damn tailor, soldier, knight and gods know who else, you'd want to live somewhere they wouldn't find you too, right?"  
  
Jotaro said nothing as he found that Carmen did have a point. Of course, as he watched the woman carefully, he saw her cover her legs in stone as she prepared to walk through the slumberthorn towards the cliff- before she stopped and looked towards the teen.  
  
"So, you have a way to climb up on your own or not?"  
  
"I don't" Jotaro said, while he silently started to wish his grandfather was around to help with Hermit Purple. Of course, as Carmen simply let out a grumble and turned into a larger and more monstrous form- and as stone covered her forearms as well as her legs, the teen didn't need to think too long on what the change would be used for. Of course, as Carmen then picked him up and set him on her shoulders, he got his answer anyway.  
  
"Hold on tight, ok?" she said, "I'd rather you didn't fall off on the way up."  
  
"Fine." Jotaro said in annoyance, though as he didn't really want to end up getting trapped in the brier he felt holding on was definitely better than the alternative. Once he was secured- especially when Carmen herself shifted out some tendrils to help keep him in place on her back, the shapeshifter then simply walked through the brier, her limbs protected by the stone armor. Once she reached the wall however, she then raised her arms and shifted them so that they resembled the legs of a spider or an ant, before she began to climb up the wall. As her arms merely tapped against the stone without leaving a trace, Jotaro quickly realized that the limbs seemed to have the microscopic hairs that allowed a spider to climb up a wall or walk on the ceiling. Not only that, but because of those hairs, Carmen wouldn't even be able to leave any way for a normal person to climb up the side after her thanks to the lack of cracks and holds for a person's hands and feet.  
  
Well, if that person managed to avoid the slumber thorn anyway.  
  
In fact, the complete smoothness of the wall was something that Jotaro found very odd as the climb continued. Once they had reached the top of the cliff and Jotaro was placed onto the solid ground, he noticed that there was just another wall up ahead, and it was also starting to grow darker.  
  
"There's nothing here." Jotaro said, while Carmen rolled her eyes as she walked towards the wall.  
  
"Well, good to know the illusion covering the front door is still working." she said, "Now come on already!"  
  
"Mind telling me who it is we're supposed to meet?" Jotaro asked as he followed after the shapeshifter.  
  
"Not directly, no.The old lizard likes to make his own introductions, unfortunately." Carmen said in annoyance as she passed through the wall like it was nothing. Of course, as Jotaro was a bit surprised by what he had just seen, a moment later Carmen poked her head back outside and added, "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to hurry your ass up already?"  
  
"Yare yare daze..." Jotaro mumbled under his breath, before he began walking again and passed through the wall.  
  
On the other side, Jotaro would find a chamber leading to a tunnel, though something that stuck out most to him, were the words "Those who enter for the first time, bear no secrets" in letters that were scratched into the rock itself. Combined with the crystals along the wall and providing light as the sun set outside, the teen couldn't help but find the cavern suspicious.  
  
"What's with the writing on the wall?" Jotaro then asked as he and Carmen entered the tunnel, the shapeshifter then letting out an annoyed groan.  
  
"Just something stupid the guy living here decided to do- since he doesn't like people learning where he lives, he forces them to tell a secret so he can make damn sure most outsiders don't go around telling everyone where he is." she then said, "Hell, even I had to tell a secret of mine just so he'd let me leave the first time... and I'm the fucking exception to the blackmail rule!"  
  
"So, is it just the people who stumble across this place?" Jotaro asked, agreeing that the idea was kind of dumb.  
  
"That, and the folks captured by the stone claws." Carmen said, "Anyway, if you play along and tell him a secret, you'll be fine, ok?"  
  
"I'd rather keep things to myself." Jotaro said in annoyance, "If some asshole is going to force me to blab something private... I'll just beat the crap out of him."  
  
"Yeah, good luck with that." Carmen said, actually chuckling as if Jotaro was telling a joke.  
  
Since he remembered that Carmen couldn't say just who this mystery man was, Jotaro decided not to ask what she meant. After all, he'd find out soon enough.  
  
A few minutes later, the two left the tunnel, finding themselves in a giant cavern filled with thousands of piles of gold coins, jewels grouped and sorted by size, shape, color and type, swords and armor organized by area of origin, and even some artworks, scrolls, books and who knew what else! Looking at it all, he couldn't help but remember the rumors about Carmen's relative being a dragon, and if this treasure was what he thought it was...  
  
"Come on, we're almost there." Carmen then said, drawing Jotaro out of his thoughts, "Also, don't steal anything. It may be tempting to do so, but with a few exceptions, I don't agree with theft, ok?"  
  
"What are the exceptions?" Jotaro asked, deciding to ignore the treasure like Carmen was as she just walked by it.  
  
"None of your damn business." Carmen said, her answer irritating Jotaro further, even if he simply frowned to show it.  
  
A few minutes of silence later, the pair would reach the other end of the cave, where they were met with the sight of Irene unconscious inside a stone cage, and a worried Pietro Aifread, who was pacing back in forth in front of a wall while letting out a few creaks, squeaks and whines. As soon as he saw him, Jotaro wasted no time as he used Star Platinum to seemingly warp to the stag, causing Pietro to jump and let out a yelp in surprise.  
  
"Jotaro, please don't do that!" Pietro said as he used a hand to rub his chest a bit- just over the heart, while his face showed how uneasy he was at the moment, "I'd really prefer to not die from a heart attack, especially in a place like this!"  
  
"Why are you just pacing around, and not hel--" Jotaro said, before the curse kicked in, and forced his mouth closed. As the teen tried to struggle to open his mouth and finish his question, Pietro just sighed and guessed what it was as he decided to answer it anyway.  
  
"I did manage to break us out of the cell we woke up in originally," Pietro said, "However, I fear my hands are metaphorically tied behind my back as I've been told that if I try to break Irene out this time, then my life is forfeit!"  
  
As Jotaro said nothing, having given up on asking after the stag had answered him, he then looked to Irene's cage, and summoned Star Platinum. Unfortunately, as he was about to rush in and break her out himself, his body suddenly froze in place, his stand vanishing from sight. As he mentally swore up a storm against the damn curse on him, and also against that bastard of a mage who put it on him, Jotaro was then surrounded by stone which seemed to form itself into a cage, before shackles formed around his arms and legs to keep him further restrained. As the cage then turned to face the top of the wall Pietro had been pacing in front of before, Jotaro's eyes widened slightly as he saw a faint outline of the one in control of this insane mountain.  
  
"Three travelers in my lair, and two members of the party remain yet to appear..." the namesake of Mount Silvas then said, his voice clear and carrying great authority to it- not to mention that while Jotaro couldn't see Silvas himself clearly, he could practically hear the smug smile the bastard had on his lips. Of course, as the shadow stepped a little more into the light, the teen would show the slightest amount of surprise while Silvas continued to speak. "Let's see how long they take to arrive... shall we?"

~0~

"SILVAS IS A _WHAT NOW!?"_ Joseph Joestar screamed, the brunette having placed his hands on the sides of his head in shock.  
  
"A _crystal dragon._ " the hooded man that Joseph spoke with, John Wood then said with a sigh. "That is what happens when a dragon moves beyond their greed, Joseph. By giving up the keystone of their horde without expecting anything in return, a dragon's body becomes crystaline in appearance, while their scales become as hard as Amecite. As a result of this transformation however, the dragon becomes more powerful as they gain the ability to control the very area that they have hidden their lair- the mountain itself in Silvas' case, as well as powerful magic to keep out intruders. Luckily, they're benevolent but... Silvas has shown that they may sometimes have a more... overbearing side when it comes to their loved ones. Especially in my case."  
  
"Oh right, you mentioned him being your father in law... didn't you?" Joseph said, and as John nodded the brunette couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. "Why exactly does he not like you that much? Besides well... marrying his daughter."  
  
"All he'd actually say to me about it was that he hated my stench, and just didn't like me in general." John said with a groan, "And considering how he doesn't like company after his wife died over a century ago- outside his descendants, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to be... harsh... to anyone who sneaks in."  
  
Joseph then became worried, especially as he remembered something quite important.  
  
"OH! MY! GOD! Jotaro, Pietro and Irene went to find Carmen after we split up!" he said, "John, I need to get to them as soon as possible, do you know where to find Silvas' lair, or better yet, a secret entrance that'll get me to my friends quickly!?"  
  
"There isn't a secret passage from here to the lair, but I do know where the entrance is..." John said, before pausing for a moment as he became nervous. "B-But I'm afraid I can't help you. After Sylvia died, her father made me swear not to set foot near the entrance, and I do not plan on going against my wife's last wish to keep things civil between myself and that dragon!"  
  
"You're putting a damn promise over the fact that my friends and grandson could be fucking killed!?" Joseph shouted, as he angrily grabbed John by his shirt and shook him. Though John tried to protest, Joseph couldn't hear a word he said, until John's hood fell back and revealed his face.  
  
The moment he saw it however, he let the man go and stepped back.  
  
"No..." Joseph said more to himself as he looked at the man, recognition on the brunette's face as he saw long, purplish brown hair he hadn't seen in fifty years and a handsome face that'd put even the best looking movie stars to shame. Sure, that face lacked the eye shadow and jewelry he had the last time he saw him, but Joseph didn't care.  
  
After all, as Joseph Joestar looked into the now blue eyes of his greatest enemy- even more so than that blond bastard DIO, a lot of things he had seen in Fanterra started to make sense.  
  
"Joseph, what's wrong?" the man who called himself "John" then said, and seemed to be genuinely concerned and confused. Joseph however, wasn't convinced as he took a moment to collect himself and test to see if the man's claim to having memory loss was true or just an act.  
  
"Tell me John, do I seem familiar to you at all?" he asked, earning only a blink of confusion before John shook his head.  
  
"No, I don't think we have met before today..." John said, while also beginning to wonder what the hell was going on.  
  
"What about Hamon?"  
  
"Ham on.... eggs?" John said, "I mean, I'll admit it's tasty but I don't think talking about breakfast is going to be helpful since it's getting close to sundown..."  
  
"What about Stone Masks that turn people into vampires?" Joseph then asked, getting another confused look from John.  
  
"What's a... vampire?" John asked, but Joseph ignored the question as he continued to try and find something that would make "John" slip up and reveal his act.  
  
"Lisa Lisa? Wamuu? Esidisi? Santana? The Pillar Men? The Red Stone of Aja? Planet Earth!?" Joseph had asked, getting a negative on each one.  
  
"You're not making any sense at all." John said with a sigh, "In fact, why are you insistent on asking about these things? Don't you have your friends to worry about instead?"  
  
After the reminder about his grandson, Joseph shook his head and groaned.  
  
"No time to explain John, just get me and Alphonse to Silvas' lair as soon as possible, and I promise I'll explain everything I can once I'm sure everyone is fine and dandy."  
  
John was silent for a moment, as if considering Joseph's words before he smiled and nodded.  
  
"Very well, I'll be sure to hold you to it." he then said, "To get to Silvas' lair, you need to go back the way you came and go down the other path if Carmen and your allies aren't back in the shop. Keep following the road until you reach a patch of slumberthorn next to a sheer cliff. Once you do, you'll need to climb straight up- after getting by the thorns of course, and I really hope you have something to aid you and Alphonse in your climb."  
  
"Shouldn't be too hard if I use Hermit Purple." Joseph then said as he summoned the purple, thorned vines of his stand.  
  
"It's a nice trick, but... I fear Silvas will catch on. He can sense anything on the ground right next to the base of the mountain... as well as who or what may try climb up... unless you can fly."  
  
"I really can't but... I may have to take my chances anyway." Joseph said with a sigh, while John sighed as he closed his eyes and focused. Before Joseph could say anything, he saw the man's arms turn into wings and his legs turn into an eagle's talons.  
  
"It looks like to ensure one promise is kept, I'll have to break another one." John then said, "Silvas and I may not see eye to eye, but if learning just who exactly you seem to think I am means entering my father in law's home... then I'll do it."  
  
"You sure?" Joseph then said, not really trusting the man after he had just confirmed Joseph's suspicions so far. However, as he wasn't sure if the man was faking amnesia and waiting for Joseph to let his guard down or had legitimately forgotten everything thanks to the late Sylvia, all he could do was play along for now and fight back at the first sign of betrayal. "I mean, you'll need to carry myself and Alphonse there, not to mention that if Sylvia meant that much to you... I really wouldn't want to trouble you by making you break your promise to her."  
  
"I was talking about the one made to her father." John then said with a smirk, "I was threatened with being sent to another part of Fanterra if I didn't agree to it, as well as being unable to stay with my wife's remains if I did manage to return to Thornsborough. So, to make sure a promise made to me is kept... it'd be worth breaking one I was forced to make under pressure."  
  
"Fair enough." Joseph said as he watched John summon a pair of tendrils from his back and used them to pick up Alphonse, before rising up into the air. Before Joseph could protest about being left behind however, John then grabbed the brunette's shoulders with his talons and lifted him up into the air. While Joseph was alright with flying himself, from the sound of Alphonse's whining, the poor alphyn was scared! However, all Joseph could do was admire the view and do his best not to look up while only one thought went through his head.  
  
 _I can't believe that to try and help my friends, I'm working with that bastard Kars. Sure, he's claiming he has amnesia and calls himself John, but there is no way in hell that this man is just an alternate of the asshole who took my hand like Irene is for Granny Erina! And what's with his eyes anyway? Did they change when he lost his memory, or is it something he thought up to help make me doubt myself? Sure, he hasn't called me Jojo yet, but I still can't help but doubt the bastard's actually gone good. After all he did to Lisa Lisa, to Wamuu, to his own people and hell, even me, I just cannot let my guard down around Kars. I guess all I can do is just wait and see what happens... and pray that Silvas will kill him first before he tries to kill me if things go south. Least... I hope a dragon can kill a so-called Ultimate Life Form... I mean, they don't exist on Earth so it should be possible... right?  
_  
By the time the sun had mostly set, the trio of Joseph, John and Alphonse had reached the hidden entrance of Silvas' lair. Of course, Joseph didn't say a word as he followed John into the lair, the crystals shining on the walls letting the brunette see the words carved over a tunnel entrance as he ran through and filed them away for later. In fact, since there only seemed to be one path ahead of him, Joseph simply focused on running as fast as he could, while Alphonse followed after him and John brought up the rear.  
  
Having a body that was young again like Joseph did now, was certainly a godsend- especially since he doubted he could even move this fast with how he looked before arriving in Fanterra. Of course, as his thoughts filled with memories of finding Caesar's remains, the idea of not allowing himself to arrive too late to save his grandson, Irene and Pietro from a similar fate also motivated him to get there as fast as he could. He was so focused on his goal, that he even ignored the piles of treasure that surrounded him as the tunnel opened up into a larger cavern. Once he spotted Pietro though, he made a beeline straight for the stag, before he grabbed the worried man and shouted.  
  
"Pietro, where the hell is Irene and Jotaro!?" he said, only to watch as Pietro silently pointed to the stone cage nearby containing an unconscious Irene, while a brown haired woman in a green dress stood by it and looked worried. As Joseph then dropped the deer man though, he then walked over to the cage, where the woman in green spoke up.  
  
"Sweet Grimm, are you _trying_ to cause a cave in?" she said as she gave Joseph an annoyed look that'd probably give his grandson a run for his money, "You were so damn loud, you could wake the dead or something."  
  
Joseph simply stared at the woman as he remembered what Maria had said about Carmen Wood.  
  
"Huh, Maria wasn't kidding about your measurements..." he then said, which earned him a punch in the face from Carmen. "OW! The hell was that for!?"  
  
"For bringing that up again for the second time today!" Carmen snapped, "You must be the guy Jotaro mentioned, huh?"  
  
"Yeah." Joseph said as he became much more serious, "Where is he anyway?"  
  
Before Carmen could answer, the cavern rumbled slightly as a voice rang out.  
  
 _"So, now the trespassers have all gathered..."_ it said as the wall next to the group started to lower itself, _"It's time I make my grand entrance!"  
_  
"Oh sweet Grimm..." Carmen then mumbled as the as the wall sank into the ground until Joseph could see not just another cage containing Jotaro, but also something else looming behind the cage that looked like a series of gigantic, rough diamonds fused into the rock. When Joseph noticed they seemed to form something like a dragon, he at first thought it was probably a red herring and tried to relax.  
  
Then the diamonds began to move.  
  
"OH! MY! GOD!" Joseph then shouted, watching as the giant stones became clearer and more defined before his very eyes as Silvas sat up and glared down at Joseph, the dragon's diamond scales seemingly clear in most areas, while clouded on his chest and underbelly. Then, the beast's bones began to shine like a full moon- gentle and unblinding, but as Joseph remembered it was its skeleton, the majesty of the sight faded quickly into being disturbing. Finally, as Silvas's eyes started to shine with a blue light, the dragon spoke again- this time his voice being loud enough to be considered decent for a normal conversation.  
  
"Welcome to my home." the dragon said calmly as he gave a nod of his head, "I, am Silvas, owner and namesake of this mountain. Who, besides Carmen, dares to enter my home?"  
  
As John chose that moment to reach the scene after he had to navigate through the piles of treasure, Silvas then glared at the possible pillar man before he spoke again.  
  
"John." the dragon said coldly.  
  
"Hello Silvas..." John said with a sigh, "I see you're looking well."  
  
"Likewise." Silvas said, before moving on, "Now, I wonder just why there are so many unwanted guests today? I swear, if it's because someone is after my horde again and wants me dead, they'll have to deal with charges of attempted murder and also theft since all I own is legally Carmen's..."  
  
"We're not thieves!" Joseph said, "Listen, Sue the blacksmith asked us to keep an eye on Carmen since he was worried about her, but then we ran into that mage Tyler in town, Jotaro got cursed, and I went after Alphonse when the mutt ran into the woods, met John, and asked him to bring me here so I could save my friends in case they were in trouble!"  
  
"I see." Silvas said, "As much as I do believe you I'm afraid I cannot simply let you all go as I still require you, and your three human companions to tell me a secret. Each. I'm exempting the Alphyn because... he doesn't even have one."  
  
"How do you know?" Joseph asked, just as a stone cage formed around him, "H-Hey!"  
  
"Because one of my personal abilities from even before I became a Crystal Dragon was the ability to see and smell whether a person has a secret. That, and and I'd be the only one to understand what he says anyway so... even if he did have a secret, the impact of it would be lost on the rest of you." Silvas said as he lowered his head and looked into Joseph's cage directly, before placing Jotaro's between the other two cages in a perfect row. "And so you don't try to escape anyway, I've put you, the boy and the young lass in these cages... and you won't go free until you talk."  
  
"So... why isn't Pietro in a cage?" Joseph asked, causing the dragon to actually sit up, turn his head and cough a bit in response.  
  
"The stag's true scent is intermingled with that of roses and ancient faerie magic, which marks him as the godson of a former war-buddy of mine, Spectralis Ghostwing... the only fae I respect and fear and I personally do not wish to get on his bad side once he is free of his stone curse." Silvas explained, "Plus, Pietro broke the holding cell I placed him and the girl in earlier with a few kicks, so he could break out at any time if he so wished... but, he still has to tell me a secret as well."  
  
"And his ability to do that doesn't count because...?" Joseph asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Because I must be _told,_ not _shown."_ Silvas said with an annoyed snort.  
  
"Pietro you lucky son of a bitch!" Joseph then snapped, before he went into a tirade of curses towards the stag, all while Pietro sighed and took it.  
  
"Yare yare daze..." Jotaro said as he shook his head and lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes. Mainly because he couldn't believe he was stuck in a cell again and this time against his will.  
  
Once Joseph was out of things to say, Silvas then cleared his throat to begin his bit of fun, while Irene finally woke up and groaned. When the gem witch looked around and realized what had happened though, she started to panic.  
  
"Wh-what's going to happen to us!?" she said, "I-I don't want to be eaten by a dragon!"  
  
"Don't worry, I won't eat you." Silvas said gently, "All I want is for you, Jotaro, the foul mouthed brunette and Pietro to tell me a secret- the juicer the better, and I'll let you all go... so think of this as a literal version of the phrase, the truth will set you free."  
  
"Y-You promise?" Irene then said, causing the dragon to hold up a claw and nod.  
  
"Dragon's honor."  
  
"O-Okay..." Irene said, before noticing Carmen and giving a relieved smile to the shapeshifter. Carmen however, just reached her hand through the bars and squeezed Irene's hand in her own, just to try and help give the witch some emotional support.  
  
"Now, let's begin shall we?" Silvas said with a grin, while Joseph spoke up once again.  
  
"Wait, why do you even want us to spill our guts out, anyway?"  
  
"Because I'm bored." Silvas said, "Now, Pietro why don't you go first since you're the only one uncaged?"  
  
"Very well..." Pietro said, before nervously taking a moment to think before he revealed his own secret, "My middle name is Joringle."  
  
While Jotaro knew the significance of the name thanks to Pietro mentioning his ancestor, Irene, Joseph and even Silvas couldn't help but snicker.  
  
"Alright, I'll let that one to pass. You're free to go... Joringle." Silvas said before he chuckled again- while also causing Pietro to turn red and squeak out of embarrassment. Once the moment passed though, Silvas then chose his next victim. "Alright... Jotaro, was it? Your turn."  
  
Jotaro said nothing at first, waiting for Silvas to draw closer before he summoned his stand outside of he cage. While Silvas was caught off guard by the surprise newcomer, Star Platinum then proceeded to do what he did best.  
  
"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"  
  
As Jotaro kept quiet throughout the whole barrage, he personally hoped that viewing the attempt to punch out the dragon with Star Platinum's strength and get his friends out of this mess would count as a reward and bypass the curse. While it worked enough to let him act though... something unexpected happened.  
  
"ORA! ORA! O-- ORA!?" Star Platninum then said, as even after a good five minutes of punching, there wasn't even a dent on Silvas's scales. As the dragon then looked annoyed as he personally grabbed the stand, he then opened up Jotaro's cage with a gesture and threw Star Platinum inside, only to watch it vanish before it could hit Jotaro's body.  
  
"Nice try, but, you really should have known that the scales of a crystal dragon is usually much harder than the gem their scales resemble, in my case... I believe my scales are comparable to a series of extremely dense diamonds so tiny, not even the most powerful microscope in Fanterra could see them." Silvas said. Of course, as Jotaro and even Joseph knew how in their world, diamonds could be used in industrial work- even if they were artificial, they still found the idea of some sort of nano diamond to be ridiculous.  
  
"In any case, next time try that stunt on a bunch of ghosts, the next dragon you try that on may not be as nice as I am." Silvas then said calmly as he looked Jotaro in the eye, "Now, your secret?"  
  
"... I want to study Marinebiology." Jotaro said, surprising the dragon as he actually flinched.  
  
"Well. Didn't see that one coming... But, I guess even the musclebound ones have their interests." Silvas muttered, before he cleared his throat again and looked to Joseph, "Alright then, it's your turn to tell a secret."  
  
"Nah, I don't think I will." Joseph said with a shrug, "To be honest, telling a personal secret in exchange for freedom? It sounds pretty dumb if you ask me."  
  
Unfortunately for Joseph, he forgot that Silvas could control the environment of his lair- including the cages that Joseph, Jotaro and Irene were in. However, as the three cages suddenly shrank before stopping just before all three were crushed, Joseph gained a good amount of insight about what would happen if he didn't play along.   
  
"Now then," Silvas said, "Since you didn't wish to cooperate, I'm forced to enact a penalty- not only do you need to tell me two secrets now, smart ass, but for bringing John to my cavern, you must also tell a third. Otherwise... I'll be forced to kill all three of you, understand?"  
  
"Well when you put it that way, how could I refuse?" Joseph said quickly, "Alright, Jotaro and I are from another world, and we came here by accident thanks to a black and silver monster that showed up in our world, grabbed a girl, and made a portal to escape. We jumped into the portal and ended up in the tower Pietro was stuck in as a mirror, and the girl ended up in another part of Fanterra while the monster is currently who knows where, and I also ended up with a younger body than I had back in our world!"  
  
"Well, that explains the outfits and the scent..." Silvas said as he expanded the cages slightly to allow his prisoners a bit of breathing room, "So that's one secret down. Two more to tell me."  
  
"I... I had a moment of weakness a few years ago when I visited Japan- where my grandson Jotaro is from." Joseph said in hopes that it would be enough to pass. However, as Silvas seemed much more interested now and even silently urged Joseph to continue, the brunette gulped and complied. "Her name was Tomoko, she was in college, she was cute and... well, I had an affair with her that led to me having a son. When my daughter Holy- Jotaro's mother, fell ill thanks to a bastard's actions, that same illness affected my son, and so... I had two people to save while I had everyone else believe I was only doing it for Holy. I... I couldn't let anyone know about my son Josuke. I mean, if it got back to my wife Suzie Q, I'd be a dead man!"  
  
The cavern was silent as the cages expanded again- this time enough for the three prisoners to feel somewhat comfortable without needing to worry about being squashed into paste- though, as Carmen still had Irene's hand in her own the whole time, she did shoot the dragon a glare that made him seem uneasy for a moment. Of course, while Joseph took a moment to relax, he could also feel Jotaro glare at him through the bars of his cage, most likely not happy about almost getting them killed as well as the fact that Joseph had a bastard son. Which one outranked the other though, Joseph didn't really want to think about.  
  
"Alright then, just one more to go." Silvas then said, "Well then smart ass, what's going to be secret number three?"  
  
Joseph was silent for a moment as he thought carefully about what to say. However, as he also remembered his promise to John, he sighed as he decided to kill two birds with one stone.  
  
"Alright, but... it's a long story, and it started waaay back in my world, in the year 1938..." Joseph said, before talking about his first Bizarre Adventure that started with a man who was once a close friend to his grandmother by the name of Straizo allowing himself to become a vampire, before facing Joseph and causing the brunette to go down to Mexico to find the closest thing he had to a father, Robert Edward O. Speedwagon. Joseph talked about the Nazis, the Pillarman Santana, his journey to Italy with Speedwagon to meet with Caesar Zepelli, and even his encounter with the other three Pillarmen- Wamuu, Esidisi and the worst of them all, Kars. As Joseph continued talking about his training in Hamon after getting hit with the Wedding Rings of Death, his battle with Esidisi and the possession of Suzie Q before that bastard finally died, how Kars' wished to get the Red Stone of Aja into his possession to become the ultimate life form and how that stone was sent to Switzerland, his audience seemed intrigued by the tale- especially Pietro and John. Even when he told about the chariot race with Whamu after Caesar's death, how Kars betrayed Lisa Lisa- Joseph's own mother and mentor in Hamon, after they made an honorable wager and also the return of Stroheim, no one wanted to speak and ask questions as they were so into the story. Finally, he came to the final battle with Kars, who had succeeded in becoming the ultimate life form and the insane and hellish battle that followed between him and Joseph.   
  
"Unlike the bastard who caused my son and daughter to fall ill, Kars just couldn't be killed. So, I did what I could and sent him flying into space." Joseph then said as he started to wrap up his story, "I ended up spending a while being nursed back to health by Suzie Q, we married and when we visited my grandmother, she was holding my damn funeral because well... Suzie forgot to send in the news that I didn't die. I mean, sure I lost my hand in that fight, but still... A-Anyway, I had thought that Kars would be floating in space forever, until I ended up here in Fanterra and saw a shapeshifter for the first time... and also accidentally get splashed by Primordia as she died on the road. In fact, everything I'd seen regarding them reminded me of the Pillarmen, such as the innkeeper in Gem Hill looking almost exactly like Santana, to hearing how Carmen had Kars' light mode at her disposal. However, when I met John and saw his face... I started to get the feeling that somehow, Kars landed on Fanterra and probably even caused the Shapeshifters to exist."  
  
With his final secret told, Silvas removed the cages around Jotaro and Joseph and kept silent as the teen slugged Joseph. As the brunette said nothing however as he felt he deserved it, he looked around and noticed that out of everyone, John seemed the most uncomfortable.  
  
"I... I can't be that monster..." he said to himself, "How.... how could anyone be willing to do all those horrible things and not feel any remorse?"  
  
No answers came to John, as Silvas spoke again.  
  
"We can talk repercussions later." the dragon then said as he looked towards the still caged Irene, "So, what's your secret young lady?"  
  
"I gained a favor from Koriander the Slayer, by saving her life and swearing to keep her biggest secret." Irene said while she squeezed Carmen's hand for support.  
  
"And what is the secret of the slayer?" Silvas asked, which caused Irene to shrink back a bit in fear.  
  
"I... I swore I'd never tell, so... I can't say anymore than what I already have." Irene said, her voice trembling as she seemed like she was about to cry as the princess looked at Carmen with fear in her eyes. Silvas however, did not seem happy with the answer as he raised his claw and started to shrink the cage again.  
  
That is, until Carmen spoke up.  
  
"Don't you even think about it you old lizard!" the shapeshifter said, "She told a secret, she had no penalties unlike Jotaro's gramps, so let her go right fucking now!"  
  
"Carmen..." Silvas said sternly, only for the apothecary to continue anyway.  
  
"Oh don't fucking talk to me like that!" she said, "You're the one acting more like a normal dragon, and didn't you tell me you never wanted to be like that again?"  
  
"Well, it's not that much of a secret of it's vaguely worded like that!" Silvas argued, only for Carmen to give him the mother of all death glares- and actually make the dragon gulp as he seemed to actually shrink in size a little.  
  
"What Irene knows is something I already told you." Carmen said as Jotaro and Joseph both seemed to figure out what she might have meant, while John and Silvas seemed to have already known what the big secret was.  
  
"Sorry, I forgot about that..." Silvas said after clearing his throat, "Fine, she can go free."  
  
As the dragon lazily waved his claw, Irene's cage receded as the blond immediately hugged Carmen tightly and broke down in tears. As Jotaro watched the previously bitchy shapeshifter become almost motherly in how she held Irene close and helped her calm down, he didn't need to wonder long about why she did it.   
  
Once Irene was done crying, Carmen pulled back, looked Irene in the eye and spoke.  
  
"Listen, I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Princess but right now? I need to know what the frozen, flying hell is so damn important that you came all the way down here to collect on that damn favor I owe you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the Classical Piece, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg. 
> 
> So, Joseph explains about Josuke's existence, since in this fic's version of the Jojoverse, Joseph knew of his bastard son's existence all along, and fear of Suzie's wrath caused him to keep quiet. 
> 
> Apologies to everyone who wanted to see Star Platinum defeat a dragon, but well, can't have the heroes overpowered, right? That'd be pretty boring for the story, ya know? Also, what Silvas is describing in regards to his scales is pretty much aggregated diamond nanorods- possibly exaggerated in terms of durability, but eh, either way even Star Platinum's power has to have a limit, right?
> 
> Also, as you may have noticed, this chapter and the previous one had no sign of Team Zeppeli. Well, that's because as the last chapter, this chapter and the next three chapters all happen on the same day, I not only ran out of ideas on what to have Team Zeppeli do during this time, but felt that focus on Team Jojo for now would let the story flow better.
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: The Truth about Koriander the Slayer.


	15. Killer Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irene's History with Koriander the Slayer, and where Carmen herself fits into it is revealed to the rest of Team Jojo.

_"Listen, I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Princess but right now? I need to know what the frozen, flying hell is so damn important that you came all the way down here to collect on that damn favor I owe you!"_  
  
The cavern was heavy with silence after Carmen had said those words, and while Irene, Silvas and John knew what she meant by a favor, it seemed that for the rest of Team Jojo the answer was still a mystery.  
  
"Er, miss Wood..." Pietro then said as he trembled a bit in fear thanks to the antics of the dragon Silvas only moments ago, "What exactly do you mean by that?"  
  
"While we were leaving Spherean, Irene and I made a pact that we'd stay out of each others lives unless it was an emergency for Irene that I needed to handle or help handle or I was getting close to dying and needed to repay that debt ASAP. I mean sure, shapeshifters don't exactly get buried when we die, but eh... I don't want to take any chances with that superstition. Anyway, since Irene is here, I can only assume it's an emergency, so I want to know just what the hell is going on."  
  
"Well-" Irene began to say, only for Joseph to take over then and there.  
  
"Her fiance Prince Joe White was kidnapped, so she insisted she join us in finding him, and also wanted us to come here and see you, since she wants to recruit Koriander the Slayer... and she did claim you were the last person to see her, and might just know where we can find her." Joseph said, earning him a very annoyed look from Carmen, much to his confusion, though it passed once he watched Carmen then glare at Irene and spoke again.  
  
"Irene, what the hell were you thinking, wanting to bring Koriander back from the dead!?" Carmen said, causing the men in Team Jojo to look in shock- or just slightly shocked in Jotaro's case, as he started getting a feeling about what was really going on.  
  
"I-I figured that helping me save my fiance would help redeem the slayer, Carmen!" Irene then argued, while Jospeh wisely decided to keep quiet due to wanting to avoid Irene and Carmen beating the crap out of him. Especially since now wasn't the time to get in between them with a snarky comment.  
  
"Irene, I didn't want to get out of hell, only to walk back in for redemption!" Carmen snapped, causing Jotaro, Pietro and Joseph to realize what was really going on, "I can't believe you'd forget that Irene!"  
  
"Well, I worded it as I did because I was _trying_ to keep your secret!" Irene explained, "Please Carmen, you're my friend... I probably should have worded things better, but at the time, it was all I could think of!"  
  
"Wait," Joseph then said with a gulp, "A-Are you saying that _Carmen_ is-"  
  
"Yeah, I'm Koriander the _fucking_ Slayer." Carmen said with a groan, before she sighed and looked towards Irene. "Looks like we better let the boys in on the truth, Irene."  
  
"Yeah." the blond then said with a nod, "Joseph, Pietro, Jotaro, the reason Koriander the Slayer disappeared mysteriously is because of me and what I did to save her from being used as nothing more than a weapon."  
  
"WHAT!?" Both Pietro and Joseph said, while Jotaro's eyes widened in shock as the stag continued to speak. "H-How did you manage to save the slayer, much less be considered her friend!?"  
  
"Well... it's a long story." Irene said as she looked to Carmen for help.  
  
"Fine... it began a decade ago, after my battle against Vararch, I was 15 at the time." Carmen said as she crossed her arms, and began to tell her story, before stopping and looking towards Irene, "Don't think you're getting out of this by having me explain everything."  
  
"I know, I know." Irene said with a sigh, "I was only ten at the time, and I had just entered Spherean's capital, the City of the Golden Sun to begin my studies in magic."

**********

Ten year old Irene Almandine was scared as she clung to her bodyguard's arm, the armored man hired to escort the princess to The City of the Golden Sun doing his best to assure the young girl that she'd be fine while studying magic in Spherean. As her family had learned that she had a natural talent for Gem related magic after using an Apatite brooch she wore to heal an injured servant without thinking, they had decided it was best that she learn from an old friend of the family who lived in Spherean's capital so she wouldn't accidentally blow something up without thinking. While her elder sister had told Irene that she'll pretty much be alone while over there- before their father told his elder daughter not to scare Irene, the blond still felt afraid the whole trip with the bodyguard her parents hired- a kind man from Ringaia who had on a cap over his head by the name of Andrea Mistano and used a special crossbow that fired six shots at a time before needing to reload. Andrea of course, did his best to cheer her up, comforting her during their three and a half months of travel as best as he could by acting like a decent older sibling to her. In fact, Irene had practically started to consider Andrea to be like family already as he comforted her during the trip with a few encouraging words, while she did her best to heal him whenever he got into a fight.  
  
At the moment though, as the two passed through the swamplands leading to the city gates- large, ivory colored walls with the gate itself looking like a giant golden sun with a man's face on it, and the guards posted on either side being a pair of statues that were animated with magic- one red with the head of a horse while the other was blue with the head of a bull. However, when the pair had stepped closer to the gates, the two statues left their posts and pointed their spears at the pair, before the red one spoke up.  
  
"Halt, what business do you have in the City of the Golden Sun?" he said, causing Irene to freeze up as Andrea spoke up on her behalf.  
  
"I, Andrea Mistano, am here escorting the young lady Irene Almandine of Gem Hill to the capital for training in the ways of Gem based Magic."  
  
The bull headed statue then looked towards Irene, causing the girl to flinch as she clung to Andrea out of fear. As the blue statue sighed, it then knelt down to look at the girl and spoke as gently as it could.  
  
"Little one, do you have a letter from your family that explains the situation and matches this man's story?" it said, causing Irene to nod nervously as she reached into her bag and pulled the letter out to give to the bull. As the blue statue stood up and looked it over- being careful not to break the wax seal of the Almandine family as it spotted a mark on the envelope that meant safe passage for the bearer for the guards, the statue then handed it back to the girl and gently patted her head.  
  
"Thank you. Everything seems to be in order, and you two may pass." the bull then said as it shot a glare towards his partner before the red statue could speak. "Please, enjoy your stay in The City of the Golden Sun, Lady Almandine, and may it be filled with more good memories than hardships."  
  
"Th-Thank you." Young Irene said as she and Andrea watched the statues combine their spears into a key, and used it to unlock the gate and open it.  
  
After the two had made it past the gate, Irene let go of her bodyguard and smiled a bit, the little girl hoping that the hard part was over now that she was in the city. Her bodyguard however, simply smiled back and gave the girl a gentle hug.  
  
"See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" he said as he looked her in the eye and earned a silent no from the girl, "Now, let's go and find where your new teacher lives, ok?"  
  
"O-Ok." Irene said as she smiled a little more now while the pair entered the city proper. Of course, as she saw the buildings of Spherean's ancient capital city surround her, she was surprised by how beautiful it looked, with its more recent curved buildings mixed with the older ruins that were scattered about the city depicting stone wheels and statues of people she'd never seen before- some with multiple arms and heads while one had an incredibly long tongue. Of course, as she was only ten, she did wonder about some things, which caused Andrea to tell her she'd learn about them more when she was older.  
  
What really managed to catch her eye though, was a statue of a dog-like creature with large fangs in its mouth that curved like tusks, yet the body was carved in a way to evoke a sense of fluffiness in the tail and surprisingly, a mane.  
  
"Andrea? What's that?" Irene asked, pointing at the statue which seemed to stare right back at her, and also causing her bodyguard to blink in surprise.  
  
"That's a Shisaa, I think." he said, "Think of it as a mystical guardian for the land a shrine or mansion is built on, to scare off thieves. Normally, they're placed in pairs- one on the right with its mouth open to frighten off intruders and evil, while the other has its mouth closed to keep good fortune in."  
  
"But, this one seems all alone though." Irene pointed out, "And it's in the middle of a street too."  
  
"Huh, maybe it lost its friend and its home, but now tries to protect this part of the city?" Andrea then suggested with a shrug- though also to keep the little girl he was charged with taking care of from feeling sad on what may just be their last day traveling together. Of course as he watched Irene pull out a bit of jerky from her bag and lay it on the statue's pedestal, he couldn't help but wonder out loud.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Just showing Shisaa that it has a friend, in case it feels lonely!" Little Irene said with a smile, causing Andrea to pat her head and chuckle.  
  
"You're a good kid Irene, try not to lose that part of you when you're older, alright?" Andrea then said before looking around and spotting a jewelry stop nearby. "Oh hey, do you still have those shards of Apatite with you? I mean, after the gem you used was broken, I did promise to get you a new one, right?"  
  
"Uh-huh." Irene said as she was about to dig into her bag, only to be stopped by her bodyguard and learn that it wasn't wise to pull out gemstones in public like that, in case it would inspire a thief to try robbing her. Though, as they walked into the shop, Irene didn't say a word as she let Andrea talk business with the cashier, while she looked around at the gems on display. The plan was for Andrea to simply trade in the shards- and a few other gems that Irene's family had given him to sell in case he ran low on funds, and use part of that money to buy a new healing gem for the girl. Unfortunately, it seemed there was a slight problem as she started eavesdropping on their conversation.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't accept those shards." the cashier- a young woman with pale pink hair styled into a series pigtails thanks to some round hair clips and wearing a uniform decorated with roses then said, "The owner is out of town on business, and he'd cut my pay for accepting something he can't actually re-sell..."  
  
Andrea sighed, before he took off looked at Irene for a moment and spoke again, "Listen, I was paid to escort that little girl here to learn gem magic by her parents. She's pretty good at using Apatite to heal, and since the gem she was using shattered... well, I wanted to get her a replacement. Not just so she'd have something to use, but also well... she's become like a sister to me and since this is going to be our last day as companions... I just wanted to get her something to remember me by, ya know? So please, can't you make an exception just this once, for her sake?"  
  
The cashier simply looked at the little girl as she eyed a large apatite brooch that she had trouble selling due to the stone's size and the fact that the cashier herself made it rather than the store's owner, so the craftsmanship was okay by her boss's standards, but nothing compared to the beautiful work he had done with the pieces arranged around it. Of course, while seeing that the child actually seemed interested in her own work rather than the more intricate pieces around it brought a bit of warmth to the cashier's heart, the pink haired young woman still felt guilty about having to stick to store policy.  
  
Not to mention that in the cashier's mind, the little girl would probably lose interest the moment she saw something that looked better.  
  
"Sorry sir, but again, I can't." she then said sadly, taking the other rough gems offered with the shards and leaving the shards of apatite alone. "I appreciate the trade in since these stones will be good for future accessories in the shop, but since those shards are from a gem that was already cut and polished, I... I don't think they can be recycled into anything new."  
  
"Not even if you re-cut the shards and set them to make like, a dragon or turtle or something?" Andrea said with a bit of desperation in his voice, while also looking into the cashier's eyes with his own black ones. As the young woman then hesitated a bit, Irene then walked up to Andrea and did her best to stand on her tip toes while gripping the counter- just so her face could be seen by the cashier.  
  
"Um, miss? How much for that Apatite brooch? The one with the big rectangle-shaped gem?" Irene then asked, causing the cashier to actually look surprised.  
  
"Tell you what sweetie," the woman then said after a moment and smiled, "I'll take these apatite shards, and these rough stones your friend here is trading in, and let you have it in exchange. Is that alright?"  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Irene said with a smile, while Andrea sighed with relief. "If I need anything, I'll be sure to come back to this shop while I'm learning magic too!"  
  
The cashier simply thanked Irene before getting the brooch out of the display case, and after she pinned it onto the girl's dress at her insistence, watched the pair leave while not just feeling pretty good that she got someone to buy her creation for the first time, but also surprised that even after the trade, the little girl had left a little bag of gold coins for her as a gift.  
  
An hour later though, Irene and Andrea found themselves nearing the city's Academy district- where mages lived and trained students in their own homes, and even gave them room and board until their studies were completed. While some of the buildings looked like they were a series of columns smushed together and had windows added to the girl, she also noted towers of various sizes and styles- including one that looked like it had flower petals on it, along with manors like the one she lived in back in Gem Hill, as well as pagodas and a couple of modest huts. Though, while she was interested in the buildings around her, she didn't try to wander off from her bodyguard. Especially since they realized they didn't know where in the residential district her new teacher lived, and so had to look for a local to give them directions.  
  
"Um, excuse me... sir?" Andrea then said as he hailed a passing mage, who looked rather villainous to the young Irene with how he seemed to glare at both of them, as if they were nothing but scum.  
  
"Yes?" the man then said, before adjusting a lock of his long, wavy violet hair to show off the lightning bolt shaped tattoo on his face.  
  
"Listen, I'm looking for the home of Norris Sky, to drop off his new apprentice. Do you think you can give me directions so we don't wander blindly?" Andrea said, earning a frown from the flamboyant looking mage as he placed a finger on the bodyguard's chest.  
  
"You stupid _toad_ ," he said, as Irene saw him send a spell into her bodyguard, "How could you come all the way here, without even getting the man's address? I'd rather not waste my time helping you deliver a child to that _hack,_ especially since that son of a fruit vendor only lives in this district because his gem magic provides a link to Miravel for trade. So, hop along, _casshidi,_ and leave me be."  
  
With that, the man walked away, not noticing as Andrea glared at his back before the bodyguard raised his fist while a bit of his thumb poked out between his ring and middle finger. While Irene had no idea what that gesture meant at the time, she didn't have a chance to ask once she noticed that Andrea had started to gain warts on his skin. As the man had noticed this too, he was a bit confused as he opened his hand, and saw that webbing was forming between his fingers.  
  
"What?" he said as he looked at his hand, only to realize too late what was happening as he shuddered before he fell to the ground in pain. As Irene watched Andrea's body shrink and twist from a man and into a toad, all she could do was stand there in panic as she really had no idea what to do. Though, once she noticed that the mage from before had stopped to watch the transformation before he started to walk towards her and pull a club out of his sleeve, the little girl realized what that monster was going to do. So, she grabbed Andrea and ran, hoping to protect him this time as the wicked mage gave chase. She did her best not to look behind her as she bolted through the residential district in case her pursuer - even if she heard plenty of noise that ranged from a cat yowling in pain, pottery breaking apart, a piano crashing to the ground and a lot of cursing from the mage.  
  
As for that rotten mage, he just seemed to have the worst luck while pursuing a ten year old girl and even after just barely avoiding being crushed by a piano, he had ended up being spotted by a group of delinquent mages in training. As the group had decided to get in between him and the little girl they believed he had ill intentions for, the violet haired, villainous mage shoved their leader aside.  
  
"Out of my way you moron, especially if you'd rather have a stupid looking pompador, rather than let your hair flow free!" the asshole then said, before the other delinquents started to back away as they noticed their boss start to radiate a fiery aura of magic.  
 _  
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY HAIR!?"_ Irene had heard someone cry out as she turned around a corner and hid in an alleyway behind a large crate someone had left there, followed by what sounded like an amazing fight between magic users breaking out. However, as Irene knew getting caught in the crossfire of two mages was not a good idea, she stayed where she was until she was positive that her pursuer was either down for the count, or had been distracted enough to give up his search. Of course, as Irene hugged the toad her bodyguard had been changed into close, she looked down in worry as she also made sure not to crush him by accident.  
  
"Andrea... what am I going to do?" she whispered, though the toad couldn't answer at the moment, whether because he hadn't figured out how to speak in his new form, or the magic used removed his ability to speak altogether, she didn't know yet. However, she soon found out that she and her friend weren't alone in the alleyway.  
  
"Got yourself some trouble, kid?" another girl's voice coming from behind Irene then said, before coughing a bit as she grunted in pain. As the blond girl turned around though, her eyes widened as she saw a girl that looked five years older than the blond, who had bright red hair, a black leather cuirass on her chest over a mint green tunic that was stained with blood, clawed gauntlets on her hands, torn leather pants and worn leather boots. As the older girl also had one dark red eye open while the other was forced shut by the blood that flowed down her forehead, and was also doing her best to stop her side from bleeding out with an old cloak, Irene could tell that she was badly hurt as well.  
  
"Y-Yeah..." Irene said, trembling in fear as hugged the toad close- and also caused him to accidentally croak as his vocal sac expanded.  
  
"A-Air! Air!" Andrea the toad then said as he wriggled around, causing Irene to let go in surprise as her bodyguard hit the ground and gasped. Though he was still a toad, he was at least happy to finally be able to speak again.  
  
"Let me guess... Your friend there pissed off a mage and got turned into a toad?" the red head in the alleyway then asked, which earned a nod from Irene. "Listen, kid, if you can get me a potion or something, I can see what I can do to get your buddy there back to normal, ok?"  
  
"Pr-Promise?" Irene asked, while Andrea tried to protest.  
  
"Now wait a sec--" he said, only to be cut off by the red head.  
  
"Promise."  
  
Irene then put her hand on the new apatite brooch she wore, before she removed it and walked over to the injured teenage girl. As the teen then looked at the kid in confusion though, she was then surprised as the little blond closed her eyes and focused, before the stone started to glow with a gentle, pale blue light. The next thing the teen knew though, was as the light was moved over her body, her wounds began to heal and she also started to feel re-energized as well. In fact, once the kid finished her work, she looked up at the red headed girl who then stood up and stretched a bit.  
  
"So, what's your name, kid?" she said, causing Irene to look a bit surprised.  
  
"I-Irene Almandine, from Gem Hill." the little girl then said, "A-and the toad is my bodyguard, Andrea Mistano. Why do you want to know?"  
  
"Can't repay you if I don't know your name, Princess." the older girl then said, "Name's Koriander, don't got a last name as far as I know or care. Anyway, mind telling me where to find the bastard who turned your buddy into a toad?"  
  
Irene didn't say a word, instead walking out of the alleyway and turning the corner with Koriander in tow, before the little girl saw the group of delinquents surrounding the battered mage that had chased her down on the street, the man twitching a bit before looking up and glaring at the young princess, attempting to reach out and curse the child too, before the pompadour'ed mage in training stomped on his wrist.  
  
"Don't you even think about it, Asshole!" he said, "There's no way we'd let a bastard like you do anything unseemly to a little girl, right boys?"  
  
"RIGHT, MORIOH!" said the head delinquent's three cohorts, which consisted of a short, skinny boy with spiked hair, a tall, kind of handsome one with shoulder length blond hair, and finally of all things, an elf with long hair and a chain going from an earring to a nose ring. Of course, as the four delinquents saw who else was with the little girl, they soon seemed quite afraid as Morioh, the leader spoke again.  
  
"Aw shit, it's Koriander the Slayer!" he said, "Listen, this guy was chasing down that little girl and we thought he was up to something so-"  
  
"Don't worry, I'm on your side this time Mori." Koriander said with a groan, "The little Princess here helped me out, so I'm going to return the favor. Though, I do want you to keep that bastard on the ground there from getting away, got it?"  
  
"Y-Yes ma'am." Morioh then said, before snapping his fingers and having his taller minions pick up and hold back the violet haired mage. Once that was done, Koriander then looked to Irene and knelt down, making sure she was at eye level before speaking.  
  
"Alright, I need you to tell me what happened that caused your friend to be turned into a toad, ok Irene?" she asked, while she was also careful not to reach out to touch the girl in case she would try to run away- especially since Koriander looked pretty damn frightening in her current state- even if she was healed up, especially thanks to the dried blood on her face.  
  
"A-All Andrea did was ask him f-for directions to Norris Sky's home, but he got turned into a toad, even though he was polite!" Irene then said while pointing at her former pursuer, causing not just Morioh to look a bit surprised at the name, but also caused Koriander to stand up, move closer to the mage and grab his neck as she spoke.  
  
"Is this true?" she said, glaring with her still open eye as the battered man to glare back at her.  
  
"So what if it is?" he said, "That idiot didn't even get the address for that hack Sky's abode before he got here, so why should I help him out of his own stupidity?"  
  
"Common. Fucking. Courtesy. Assjack!" Koriander then said, punctuating each word with a punch to the mage's body. "Now, I want you to change that toad back into a man, and get yourself some lessons in being a productive member of society, do you understand me?"  
  
The mage however, simply spat blood in Koriander's face, before he sneered and spoke. "And why should I, the great mage Acousta, do what some fifteen year old _bitch_ demands of me? In fact, how did you even get bloodied? Did your boyfriend teach you a lesson while trying to play soldier?"  
  
"Actually, I just got back from the swamps after fighting _Vararch_ to a damn draw." Koriander said as she crossed her arms and frowned at the mage, "And if you _don't_ want to be thrown out of the city by me personally and end up as Vararch's dinner... I advise you do what I ask."  
  
As Acousta and the four delinquents actually paled at the mention of the monstrous Vararch, Irene saw that the jerk who had caused this mess looked like someone had just sent him to the corner for misbehaving, before looking afraid as he stared at Koriander in the eye.  
  
"Y-You're bluffing." he then said, "There's no way you could have survived fighting Vararch, he's... he's a killer!"  
  
"You want to test that theory?" Koriander said coldly, causing the man to shake his head, "Thought so. Now, turn the kid's bodyguard back to normal. Got it?"  
  
"Y-Yes ma'am." Acousta then said as he looked to Irene in defeat, "Please put the toad on the ground..."  
  
"O-Okay." Irene said, watching the man carefully as she did so, though, the moment the man was allowed to move, Morioh spoke up next.  
  
"You try anything funny, and I'll _personally_ help Koriander get rid of a scumbag like you." he said, while Koriander simply glared, her arms crossed in silence. Realizing that he was in deep shit, Acousta simply mumbled a few words under his breath, and summoned a ball of energy into his hand. After dropping it on top of Andrea though, the toad was engulfed by light, and replaced by the human Andrea once it faded away.  
  
"May I go home now?" Acousta then said with a small whimper, only to be answered with Andrea punching his face in.  
  
 _"Now_ you can." Andrea said with a smile before watching the man flee rather quickly once he was off the ground, before he looked to Koriander, Morioh and the delinquent trainees. "Thank you for helping Irene turn me back to normal, I owe each and every one of you a favor for it. If there's any way I can repay you, please, let me know."  
  
"Don't worry about it, man." the tall delinquent said, "Maybe have a drink with us before you leave and I'll call us even."  
  
"Well, I may need to go out of the city for reagents." the elf then said, "I have a potion making test coming up, and I do not wish to fail and get kicked out... my parents will disown me pretty fast, and I don't want to think about what would happen to my brother Maurice. In any case, if you're willing to spend a day off to guard me while I search out in the swamps- my mentor will know if I buy from a shop and insists I go out and grab things from the wilderness, I'd consider it my own favor."  
  
"Keith, Mike, at least you two have it easy..." the short delinquent said, "My girlfriend's badgering me to get her a few Spherean Swamp chicken eggs from the wild, since she wants to try and domesticate them, but... well, I'm going to need help if I don't want to get roasted."  
  
"Well, I was paid to get Irene to her mentor Norris Sky," Andrea then said, "But, I'm sure we can discuss business after I well... find his home."  
  
It was then that Morioh's eyes widened as he realized something, before coughing out of embarrassment.  
  
"So... you guys want to see my pop." he then said while rubbing the back of his neck, "He asked me to head out and go meet his new student that was moving in today, but... he never told me where to meet up with you two, how to identify his student and well... I uh... got a bit distracted."  
  
"Wait, seriously!?" Andrea said, "No one said anything about the guy having a kid! Hell, I'm not sure if I should hug you for protecting Irene while she was being chased, or shoot you for causing us so much trouble!"  
  
"Let me escort you to my place, and we'll be even." Morioh then said, to which Andrea nodded and shook his hand.  
  
"Um... Andrea?" Irene then said, earning her bodyguard's attention, "Do you think Koriander can come with us, too? She did help get you back to normal as well."  
  
"Hey, never hurts to have back up in case Acousta has friends." Koriander then said with a shrug, causing Andrea to sigh.  
  
"Alright, alright, she can come along." Andrea then said, "But, when I leave the city, I want her to help keep an eye on you when she can, ok Irene? You too Morioh."  
  
"Eh, sure." Koriander said with a shrug, "Not like my boss expects me to keep busy after that fight I was in."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll watch Irene like she was my own sister!" Morioh then said with a grin, and so group started walking, the pompadoured teen leading the way while the rest surrounded Irene and her bodyguard Andrea- just in case more trouble reared its ugly head.  
  
"Um, Koriander?" Irene then said, getting the 15 year old girl's attention, "What's a Vararch? And how did it injure you, anyway?"  
  
"Princess, Vararch is a very fierce bastard that can destroy a man. I'm honestly lucky to be alive, even if I didn't expect to find it in that cave..." Koriander said before falling silent. Irene however, pouted as she realized that her other question was being dodged and decided to not have any of that.  
  
"But _what is it!?"  
_  
"It's a rabbit." Koriander then said, earning some disbelieving looks from the rest of the group at the moment, "I'm serious! It's not the giant beast people think he is, but a deceptive, disarmingly cute and downright vicious killer rabbit."

**********

Five years had passed since Irene came to Spherean, and while she did impress her mentor Norris, she also developed a sisterly bond with his son Morioh and his friends, even spending time with them when she had a break in her studies, as well as inviting along her friend Koriander as well. Though, she did notice that the boys didn't seem to like the red headed woman very much, but Irene kept by Koriander's side as a friend despite that. Sure, during that time Koriander had starting getting more work due to her fight against Vararch, but the slayer and the princess had been managing to make time to just talk with each other.  
  
Of course, not everything was wonderful during the past five years. Morioh Sky, the son of Irene's mentor Norris, had gone missing two years before after going off to have a duel with another mage. Weeks passed as they searched all over the city for him, while his opponent refused to say what happened to the teen, no matter how much Norris threatened to ruin the bastard's life. Just when they were about to give up though, Morioh had returned just as mysteriously as he left when he came home late one evening while Irene was doing her best to help her mentor keep hope. While Norris did seem happy to see his boy alive and well, his joy turned to fear as he noticed his son was nearly frozen to death, his coat missing- leaving Morioh in just a white shirt and black pants, and strangely enough, covered with fresh snow despite the fact it was early spring in Spherean and the warm swamps making snow rather rare. In fact, as Norris asked his son where he'd been, all Morioh could say before collapsing were only four words:  
  
 _"I saved them, pop..."  
_  
Norris had done his best to save his son's life, keeping his body warm and even using a small segment of slumberthorn to help keep Morioh alive- the teen's body unaging as he slept, as well as his bodily functions paused thanks to the plant's properties. However, even in the present, Irene's brother figure in the sky family still slept while the slumberthorn was wrapped around his wrist, as Irene had discovered using a piece of calcite that Morioh Sky had something inside his chest that threatened to kill him if he moved too much, and it seemed the only way to extract it was through surgery.  
  
Unfortunately, Spherean focused more on magic than more mundane forms of medicine, while their northern neighbor of Golemia had done the opposite as word got around about a clockwork surgeon that could save Morioh's life. While Norris had been willing to let this mysterious surgeon work on his son, the high council of Spherean's capital city refused to allow a living machine into their home- all because the people of Golemia refused to share how they brought their golems to life with the mages of Spherean. While Golemancy was possible in the swampy, magic focused kingdom, the fact that the clockwork golems seemed to have a will of their own compared to the mindless, animated figures of stone, clay and other things was enough to make the older mages of the kingdom protest allowing something that could threaten the kingdom's reputation as the center of the magical world.  
  
Thankfully, Norris managed to convince them to allow him to contact the mechanic Voltan Vojtech- the creator of the surgical golem called Dr. Vitaliskaya, and let them save his son's life. How, Irene never knew but as the surgery was taking place in the Sky manor today, Norris had given Irene a day off from her studies so he could focus on assisting however he can for the procedure.  
  
"Hey, Princess, you listening?" Koriander then said, causing the blond fifteen year old witch in training to flinch in her seat. As the two had decided to spend time at a local cafe, Irene had thought it'd be a nice place to catch up while Koriander still had time before her next job. As the noblewoman realized she'd also been absently poking at her cake though, she sighed and looked to her friend.  
  
"Sorry, I... got worried about Mori." Irene then said, "His surgery is today, and well..."  
  
"It's fine." Koriander said with a small smile, "I was just mentioning how I was able to protect your boyfriend while they were searching for a new Mirror Knight."  
  
"Oh, you met Jonathan?" Irene then said, smiling herself now, "How is he?"  
  
"He's fine, though... sweet Grimm Princess, I can't see why you like him- he has one hell of a tendency to help everyone he can, even if it causes him trouble later..." Koriander said with a groan, "If he wasn't your future husband, I'd have demanded a bonus for the trouble I went through trying to keep his ass out of the fire. Ugh, whoever it was they had take over the Mirror Knight job, has their work cut out for them."  
  
"Yeah... Jojo is such a nice guy." Irene said with a smile, "I'm happy I got to meet him when I got to visit home and my family for a break... even if my sister once again managed to ruin my happiness with her... usual bullying."  
  
"Why don't you just punch her?" Koriander asked, "Show her you're not to be messed with."  
  
"I-I couldn't! It wouldn't be lady like to punch family, b-besides, it's better to just bear it and be the better woman." Irene said, which earned a confused look from Koriander.  
  
"Family, friends, I don't know what the difference is. Then again... I dunno, I guess I just feel like I'm missing something important, but not sure what."  
  
"Oh right... you were just raised by Lord Kisahs, right?" Irene said, "How exactly did he decide to do that?"  
  
"Dunno." Koriander said, "All I know is that I've always worked for him, I guess."  
  
"Kori, maybe you should ask Lord Kisahs about it, in case he knows something?" Irene suggested, only to have Koriander shrug.  
  
"I tried that already. He dismissed it as being silly more than anything." the slayer then said, "Though, I'll admit, I do feel... more whole, I guess, when I'm around you. For some reason."  
  
"Hmm... maybe you just need a boyfriend... or girlfriend?" Irene said, only for Koriander to roll her eyes.  
  
"Sure Princess, let's just find a bunch of guys or girls who'd be willing to sleep with or fall in love with a monster like me." Koriander then said, "I kill things and don't feel any remorse for it at all, Princess. Who'd love someone like me anyway?"  
  
"Well, I love you as a friend." Irene said, which caused Koriander to nearly choke on her coffee, before she set her cup down on the table and stood up.  
  
"I gotta go," she said then, "I'm leaving for a job in Catskiln County tomorrow so... I've gotta gather supplies. I'll see you when I'm back in the city, ok?"  
  
"Ok... see you when I see you." Irene said as she watched her friend leave, though for some reason, the fifteen year old princess of Gem Hill couldn't help but get the feeling she might have said more to hurt her friend, than to make her feel better.

**********

"Hey Irene, happy birthday." Koriander said as she handed her now 18 year old friend a long, slim package that was crudely wrapped in brown paper and had a sloppy looking bow tied onto it as well. "I know it's a week late, but well, I did have a job going at the time."  
  
As Irene smiled at her friend and took the gift, the blond patted the spot next to her on the bed, while the now infamous and rightfully feared Slayer was nervous in the rather nice looking bedroom Irene had in the Sky family manor. Though, as the 23 year old warrior watched Irene unwrap her gift, she couldn't help but smile as the young woman looked genuinely surprised at the sword made from a deep blue crystal that also had some streaks of white- making the stone seem a bit cloudy as a result.  
  
"A sword?" Irene then asked, while Koriander simply rubbed her neck and cleared her throat.  
  
"I heard you started taking some fencing lessons last year, and saved some money up to get you a Kyanite sword. It'll cut through enchantments and enemies." Koriander then said, blushing just a little as well. "I still don't know what a normal girl likes so..."  
  
"It's perfect." Irene then said, before surprising the twenty-three year old red head with a hug. "I got you something as well, Kori."  
  
"Y-You didn't have to do that!" Koriander said, watching as Irene went to her armoire and pulled out a large box, before handing it to the Slayer. As Koriander then realized that Irene wanted her to open it then and there, the red head then hesitantly opened the box, and blinked as she pulled out a large orange cape. "A... cape?"  
  
"Well, you never know when it might get chilly out in the world." Irene said, "It's enchanted to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer as well. I... couldn't find any in green though, since the shop was out. I... I hope you don't mind though."  
  
"No... no, not at all. I really like it... thanks." Koriander said as she took a moment to slip it on, before smiling slightly. Though, before Koriander could say anything more, the door to Irene's room opened, and the physically and mentally 20 year old Morioh Sky barged in and ruined the moment.  
  
"Hey Irene, I heard that Williamson bastard tried to do something awful to ya today! Are you al-" he said rather angrily, getting Koriander's attention as he noticed the red head as well "Oh. Shit. Uh... H-Hi Koriander... pleasedon'tkillme."  
  
"Calm down Mori." Koriander said in annoyance, before looking to Irene with concern, "Now, what's this I hear about the guy trying something?"  
  
"Oh gods..." Irene said with a sigh before shooting Morioh a glare, "Tyler tried to flirt with me, I refused his advances, and he... tried to get physical. However, Jonathan was in Spherean today, and he saved me, and well..."  
  
"Well _what?"_ both Koriander and Morioh then said together, as Irene blushed and walked over to pull a box off her night stand, before opening it up to reveal a rather large sun stone carved to look like an arrowhead.  
  
"Jojo... proposed after the rescue."  
  
As Morioh congratulated Irene with a hug, Koriander the Slayer felt... conflicted. While she was happy for her friend as she hugged Irene shortly after Morioh left the room to tell his father Norris the good news, the slayer was also feeling jealous for some reason she couldn't fully understand.  
  
"So... when's the wedding?" Koriander then asked her friend.  
  
"It won't be until Jonathan is 21 so... three more years and on the bright side, this will give me a chance to complete my studies before then." Irene said with a smile, before holding Koriander's hand in her own, "And... I want you there, as my maid of honor- and if people argue against it, then you'll be there as my personal guest at least."  
  
"Uh... I'm not exactly the type to go to a wedding, outside of crashing it for a job anyway." Koriander said awkwardly, "Besides, I don't even own a dress."  
  
"I won't mind if you just show up in your armor- well, if it's not bloodstained anyway." Irene said, remembering how messy her friend's work could get at times.  
  
"I'll think about it, ok Princess?" Koriander said as she looked to the side while her face was almost as red as her hair from embarrassment. "A-Anyway, I'm still probably going to kill Tyler when I see him."  
  
"Actually... he left town after Jonathan scared him off." Irene said, causing Koriander to look surprised, "From what I heard, he was probably involved in... in a murder of your boss's apprentice, Amelia Red while you were gone."  
  
"Wait, Amelia was murdered?" Koriander said in surprise, "What... what about her... y-you know."  
  
"Left with an elderly couple." Irene said, "As for the incident, as far as anyone knows, a fire broke out in one of the buildings Lord Kisahs owns outside the city. No one knows exactly what happened, but Tyler was there, and he refused to explain what happened. It's all very suspicious if you ask me."  
  
"No kidding..." Koriander said, clenching a fist without realizing it. "At least Amelia's... treasure... is safe."  
  
"Yeah." Irene said, knowing full well that Koriander seemed to have a problem referring to certain things as they were, though why that was the gem witch in training had been afraid to ask. Especially as the last time she did, Koriander had shut down and left without a word. All in all, it was something that really creeped out Irene and so, she did not wish to have that happen again. Of course, as she could tell that Koriander may be on the verge of another incident, she then decided to change the subject. "So, how was the werebeast hunt in Ringaia?"  
  
"The targets were a mother and daughter." Koriander said, "As well as the client's family. I wasn't happy about killing them so... I murdered him as compensation for withholding information."  
  
"Ah." Irene said, before Koriander started going into further detail about the kill. In fact, as Irene watched her friend actually relax while talking about murder, the blond wasn't sure whether to be disturbed or not as she realized that she herself wasn't even batting an eye at the topic of death after hearing about Koriander's exploits personally over tea for a few years now. Then again, it was thanks to Koriander that she started developing a backbone when it came to Irene's sister, as her last visit home resulted in the blond decking her elder sibling in the face, as well as using a technique Koriander had shown her to flip her sister over her shoulder and knock her on the ground before wailing on her after years of bullying wore away her patience at last.  
  
As Irene looked at her battle scarred friend though, she couldn't help herself from chuckling when the red head got to the point of having borrowed a catapult to launch a bull of all things at her client's bedroom, and kill him when the bovine crashed through the roof- before silently deciding that once she was married, she'd probably best keep her warped sense of humor caused by the slayer under wraps for now. Especially since she didn't want her husband to think poorly of her by laughing at someone's death or execution.  
  
After all, she didn't want to end up with a revolt due to being seen as a madwoman and a killer herself.

**********

The very night before Irene Almandine would begin her journey home to Gem Hill for good, the blond had packed her things and had everything ready to go into the carriage that would be coming by the Sky estate to fetch her. As she slept peacefully however, she didn't realize that tonight would be rather eventful- especially as around midnight, her door would silently open and Koriander the Slayer would sneak in, a knife drawn and her dark red eyes showing regret. The slayer had been given a horrible task by an anonymous client- to assassinate Irene, and when she tried to refuse...  
  
Lord Kisahs decided to give her no choice with the use of his magic.  
  
Even now, the slayer struggled against the spell she was under, her love for Irene giving her a reason to keep trying to fight back, even now as she hesitated to plunge the knife into the blond, twenty year old woman's breast. The memories that ran through Koriander's mind of their friendship and all the good times they had together caused the slayer to grunt a bit as she tried to fight back, to force herself to find a way to save her friend's life- no matter what the price was for Koriander herself.  
  
"I...Irene..." Koriander then whispered, before lowering the knife and shaking the target awake. "Please, wake up."  
  
"Hm? What's going on?" Irene then mumbled as she slowly woke up, before sitting up and seeing her friend. "Kori? Wh--"  
  
As soon as Irene saw the knife in Koriander's hand, the blond became much more alert as she whispered, just so she wouldn't wake up Norris or Morioh and risk their lives as a result. "Are... Are you going to slay me too?"  
  
"Not... Not willingly." Koriander said as she forced herself to keep from stabbing Irene while the red head explained, "Anonymous client... wanted me to kill you. I... I tried to refuse but... Urgh... my boss slapped with with a Geas... I'm... ugh... I'm doing my damndest to fight back but... it's killing me instead."  
  
"Kori..." Irene said, before moving to try and hug her friend, "I wish I knew how to help you, but a Geas..."  
  
"St-Stay back, dammit!" Koriander then snapped as quietly as she could while the slayer actually wept for what may have been the first time ever for as long as Irene knew her, "Otherwise, I _will_ kill you!"  
  
"Koriander..." Irene then said, unsure what to think or even do before she saw the slayer start to have trouble breathing as the slayer started moving closer to Irene- while also struggling to fight back against the Geas. As Irene knew that a Geas was classified as a very dark form of magic due to the fact that if a person under its influence were to break the rules linked to it or tried to go against the orders enforced by the Geas, they would die, she had personally prayed never to get a chance to see it in action- or worse, experience it herself. However, as she saw her friend was in pain as the knife Koriander held moved ever closer to the blond, Irene suddenly found her hands act on their own, grabbing Koriander's arm and redirecting the knife into the red head's stomach. As Koriander was caught off guard, and looked as surprised as Irene had as she pulled the blade out- and revealed that the Slayer had either forgotten or chosen not to put on her armor, she didn't say a word as she then tried to keep her insides from spilling out while she laid on the bed, and Irene acted fast to grab her Apatite brooch off of the night stand, and use it to heal her friend- even if it would end up killing Irene herself in the end.  
  
"Kori... I'm not going to let you die." Irene whispered to the red head, "You mean so much to me, as my best friend.... and... and I don't want to lose you, or see you suffer anymore... I... _I want you to live as you want to!"  
_  
As Irene's feelings rang true in her mind, she then felt her body grow warm as something gentle, but also fierce expanded from her heart, flow through her body and into her Apatite, causing the pale blue gem to temporarily turn yellow much to Irene's confusion, while Koriander's wound not only healed, but as the yellow light expanded to cover the Slayer's body, she found herself unable to move as she watched what looked like black chains appear around the slayer's body, before dissolving away as Irene felt her bond with Koriander actually give both of them strength.  
  
 _"What... what is this?"_ Irene thought, her heart beating calmly despite her uncertainty at the moment, especially as she found she couldn't speak as her mind seemed to take a backseat during the process. _"Such... such power... is this really mine? What is with those chains? Could those... represent the Geas? But why are there so many, and why do all but one chain seem... so old? Koriander, just what did Kisahs do to you!?"  
_  
A moment of silence passed, and Irene's expression became determined as she saw the older chains fight back, struggling to remain in place as they seemed to sense Irene's confusion.  
  
 _"No. No way I'll let Kisahs keep a hold on you, Kori. Never again... as long as I live, as long as I consider you my dearest friend... I **refuse** to let anyone control you again!"_ Irene then thought in silence, her oath actually adding more power to the stone as she felt a surge of energy from her heart go through her and into the stone- strengthening its light as it tore apart the dark chains on Koriander's body. Of course, as Irene smiled as she felt victorious, the magic she released continued to affect her friend, as if whatever she was doing now wasn't even over yet as she watched Koriander's face start to look like a mask that started to crack and break apart- much to Irene's horror as her friend's eyes widened as looked down at her hands while her straight, bright red hair started to become brown and bushy.  
  
"What... what the hell?" Koriander said, as Irene felt herself lose control of her magic and watched as her friend's body changed seamlessly- the long, thin face of Koriander breaking away to reveal a rounder, softer face underneath that was free of scars, while her dark red eyes turned a bright green and her body actually became curvier. As both women watched in confusion as the spell Irene had cast ended, and the golden light faded as the Apatite stone turned back to normal, Irene found herself unable to speak as she watched Koriander stand and examine herself, the blond worried she somehow went too far with her magic and in a way killed her best friend.  
  
"K-Kori?" Irene finally said, getting the brunette's attention as the blond prayed her friend knew who she was. However, as the slayer looked at Irene in a bit of confusion and didn't say a thing for a few moments, Irene started to tear up, afraid she had actually destroyed her friend forever. "Oh gods... Please... please tell me you know who I am, Kori."  
  
"Why wouldn't I, Princess?" Koriander then said, before flinching as she noticed something. "Huh... new teeth... that's going to take some getting used to."  
  
While Irene was happy her friend seemed to remember her, as she watched Koriander poke her body here and there, the blond wasn't sure what to think or feel about this situation. Especially when Koriander actually seemed to notice a mirror in the corner and frowned as she couldn't see her reflection very well in the moonlit room.  
  
"Hey Irene," Koriander then said, "Can you light a candle to give some light in here or something?"  
  
"Oh! Uh, s-sure, hold on a second." Irene said, scrambling out of bed and pulling a slender diamond shaped, clear white stone out of the night stand drawer and use it to light the room a bit better- after putting it on a special holder on the night stand itself of course, so she wouldn't have to hold it all the time. With the room now lit better, Koriander walked over to the mirror and examined her face and hair, while Irene herself got up and moved closer in her night gown- and finally noticed that Kori had been wearing a dark green shirt under a black tunic, with dark brown leather pants and black boots- though there was a hole from where she'd been stabbed along with a noticeable bloodstain on the cloth, and yet the skin underneath showed no sign of damage.  
  
"Is... Is everything alright?" Irene then asked, only to watch as Koriander didn't seem to hear her, too intent on her face before her eyes widened as if she had recognized herself. Next thing Irene knew, her friend was actually giggling as she turned and hugged the blond, and planted a kiss on her lips out of pure joy as the brunette spoke.  
  
"Everything is more than alright, Princess." Koriander then said, "I don't know how, but... but you did it!"  
  
"Did... what?" Irene asked, confused by both her friend's comment and more importantly, the kiss. "Koriander, what exactly--"  
  
"Yeah... about that... Koriander isn't my actual name." her friend then said, which caused Irene to pull away in surprise.  
  
"Wh-What!?" she said, while briefly remembering that both Norris and Morioh could sleep through the loudest of thunderstorms when she realized she had almost screamed, and soon spoke a little quieter. "What do you mean by that!?"  
  
"Well, my real name is Carmen... and believe it or not? I'm a shapeshifter." Kori- or rather, Carmen then said, before demonstrating as she turned her hand into a scaly claw, a blade, and finally a crab shelled arm before turning it back to normal. "My bastard of a father managed to figure out how to lock me into a specific form, and sealed my memories, until somehow... _you_ undid it."  
  
"I... what." Irene said, while Carmen moved her back to the bed before she could fall and hit the floor.  
  
"You... broke my curse?" Carmen said with a shrug, "Yeah... I guess while I was still Koriander the Slayer, that feeling of something being missing I tended to have, was most likely my real self trying to break through. But, when you came along, I dunno, you probably gave the real me a way to try and fight back against the curses I was hit with, and as my father Lord Kisahs figured it out before we did... he decided to have me kill you by claiming it was from an anonymous client, before I broke free."  
  
"You're... Lord Kisahs's _daughter!?"_ Irene said, "But... Korian- I mean, Carmen, why did he... _HOW_ did he manage to lock you into one form!?"  
  
Carmen then stopped smiling, as she let out a growl and spoke.  
  
"The damned bastard used his magic to seal me inside a fucking orb, and made me experience every damn form of physical torture without actually harming my body." Carmen then said, "And I wasn't even able to leave it, until my mom forced her way inside it to pull me out... at the cost of her own life."  
  
"Oh no..." Irene said, "Carmen... I..."  
  
"I didn't either for a long time, thanks to Kisahs." Carmen then said, "My mother... she sacrificed herself in an act of true love for her daughter, and he fucking covered it up and turned me into his attack dog... his experiment to try and lock a shapeshifter into a specific form worked, but he kept the method to himself, deciding to just let me go around as I was to hide the fact he fathered someone who couldn't use magic, and didn't even care that his wife died. He only married her for a trophy. He never wanted a child with her, and when she died? He fucking used his magic to put her Primordia in a jar to study!"  
  
Irene felt disgusted with Lord Kisahs, and while she was thankful to never have never met him in person, she knew full well that her own mentor and his son hated the man. However, she knew she couldn't tell them about Koriander's true identity, as not only would it seem like a baseless accusation against the man, but it'd cause people she practically considered family to suffer in the long run.  
  
She never wanted to see the people she loved suffer again, especially not after tonight.  
  
"So, what will you do now?" Irene asked, while Carmen got up and headed towards the window, "If you want, I can make sure we leave Spherean together, we can head to Miravel and... and I can do whatever I can to help you start a new life, one where Koriander the Slayer isn't--"  
  
"Princess? Koriander is _dead_ as of tonight." Carmen said, causing her friend to flinch.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me." Carmen said, "Koriander is dead. Went to do a job, found out her boss had hid some things from her for a very long time. So, she realized that she was tired of being a tool, decided to end him and take care of some unfinished business before disappearing into the night, leaving no trace behind like she'd become more than just a person... but a force of nature."  
  
"I see." Irene said with a nod, understanding full well what Carmen was going to do, and watched as the brunette opened the window and took a deep breath, "Give him hell, Carmen."  
  
"Oh, I plan to Princess. I'll see you tomorrow." Carmen said with a smirk, before turning into a bird, and flying off.

**********

The next day, Irene would read news from her carriage that Lord Kisahs was murdered- slain by the Slayer herself before she supposedly, put an iron post in his heart, bound his arms and legs behind his back, and hung him from the gate that led to his manor. Kisahs' notes on magic however, were all destroyed- burned to nothing as Koriander apparently searched the entire manor for every bit of magic he created and destroy it. As the city guard investigated the premises though, they found the man's lab, and a hidden room covered in carvings created by a young child that ranged from cries for help, insults towards her father, wishing to see her mother... and worst of all, comments about pain and suffering all because Kisahs didn't want her to shapeshift. Though, on a wall in both Kisahs' bedchambers and the entry hall of the manor itself, there were only a few words carved into them, the meaning of which frightened even the chief inspector of the watch:  
  


_Time to go to Hell._

_The demon that pretended to be a man, has been slain._

_**I am free.** _

  
The discovery had caused an uproar after only a few short hours after the report was made, though they did discover that something was stolen from the lab- what it was, they weren't sure other than it was perhaps a large jar. Searches were made to try and find Koriander, but as they turned up with nothing, whispers began to go through the city that Koriander had become something more than human, a force of vengeance so deadly, that not even the one who controlled her for so long had been able to stop her. Of course, with the destruction of not just Kisahs' research, but also his journals, notes and personal records, it seemed the Slayer wanted to make sure that Kisahs wasn't just going to suffer in hell, but also that no one else would do whatever it was he had done to earn such a horrible fate.  
  
Irene however, did know. And as her carriage left the city gates, and she waved goodbye to the two statues that guarded them while she watched them wave back, she had a feeling that she may not see her best friend ever again, since Carmen would need to go into hiding- if she hadn't died herself in the process. Though, since they never found a body...  
  
"Driver, stop the carriage." Irene then said, once she saw someone walking along the road in a plain green dress, a large backpack on her back and also having bushy brown hair. Though, when the carriage passed the woman and stopped, Irene opened the door and saw her friend Carmen, carrying a jar of glowing green liquid and simply stared at her with a smirk.  
  
"Didn't you tell me two years ago, that you didn't own a dress?" Irene said, while Carmen herself chuckled and climbed into the carriage herself.  
  
"Still don't, but I borrowed a few from one or two of Kisahs' servants... after I scared them all off with threats of slaughtering them, anyway. Eh, I'm sure they won't mind too much. Not like they'd want to get them back, right?" Carmen said with a shrug, while Irene shook her head and smiled before signalling to the driver to get going again.  
  
"That is true." she said, "By the way, we'll be cutting through Scherezade to get to the Miravel border, I felt that you wouldn't want to spend too long in the desert, especially since the other border passes into Miravel from Spherean are snowed in for a few months."  
  
"Thanks." Carmen said, "Sorry about not seeing you off but... I had to escape the city with my mother's remains, so I couldn't stick around. I mean, I am a fugitive after all."  
  
"What fugitive?" Irene said with a smile, "All I see is a friend in need of a ride, after all, you don't look a thing like Koriander the Slayer."  
  
"True..." Carmen said with a laugh, "Anyway Irene, I owe you big time for this. You did restore me to normal after what my father did to me."  
  
"We can talk about paying me back another time." Irene said, "For now... what do you plan to do now?"  
  
"I'm going to go to Thornsborough." Carmen said, "I found my mom's stuff while scaring the crap out of Kisahs, so... I'm going to become an Apothecary, take on her maiden name of Wood and use my real name of Carmen, take over her shop and just... start a new life. I'm a quick study so... I think I can handle being an Apothecary on a self-taught curriculum."  
  
"I'm sure you'll do great, Carmen." Irene said, while the two women rode off into the dawn of a new day in the princess's carriage... and possibly into a brand new life for both of them.

**********

"So... when we reached the border, Irene and I split up and made a promise- we'd stay out of each others lives so that I wouldn't be found out as the slayer, while she kept my secret to herself." Carmen said in the present, while Irene and Pietro had gotten their things back from Silvas during the tale, "However, when it came to Irene's wedding, I had to be there no matter what. Though, besides that exception, the only other time we'd see each other was when I had to repay that favor I owed her."  
  
"So wait." Joseph said, "You and Irene were... what, _more than just friends?_ Because that kiss you mentioned when Irene started to get awkward about the story..."  
  
"H-Hey, I was still caught off guard by that kiss, Joseph!" Irene then said, blushing quite a bit before she and Joseph started arguing as Carmen and Jotaro both let out a groan.  
  
"Sweet Grimm" Carmen said as she shook her head in disbelief.  
  
"Yare, Yare Daze..." Jotaro said, pulling his cap over his eyes while slipping a hand into his pocket- only to feel something hit his fingers. As Jotaro moved to pull it out though, he thought he heard glass shattering, before he noticed the cave seem to get brighter around him. As he then looked to the dragon, he then spoke again. "Silvas, do you have anything made of glass?"  
  
"No." the dragon said, "Why would I keep glass objects just lying around in this place? If I did, they'd not last long while I was constantly shifting my lair around."  
  
"Then..." Jotaro said, just as he and everyone else heard something hit the ground, causing him to look down and see something near his foot:  
  
A fragment of antler that he'd taken from Pietro's tower early on in his time in Fanterra. "Huh. Forgot I had this."  
  
"How the hell did you forget you had a piece of antler in your pocket?" Carmen asked dryly before she picked it up, while Jotaro rolled his eyes and shrugged in silence. "Whose antler is it, anyway?"  
  
"Oh, that's mine!" Pietro said in surprise, while the antlers he had growing on his head now were just starting to branch out, "Though... why did you have it with you, Jotaro?"  
  
"Souvenir." Jotaro said, while Irene decided to take her calcite lens from her gem pouch and examine him.  
  
"Oh! It looks like that curse that was on Jotaro's just... gone!" Irene said, before looking a bit concerned, "Though... Pietro and the antler fragment are just... white voids when I'm looking through this. That's... kind of creepy to be honest."  
  
As everyone was silent for a moment before they looked at Pietro, the stag himself realized that this moment confirmed that he may be able to undo a curse on a living being. Though, before anyone could say anything, especially the stag as he was about to hypothesize away about what this could mean for not just him and his allies, but also his home town, the moment was ruined as a sense of dread filled the cavern, as if something had arrived that simply did not belong, along with a certain smell.  
  
"Is... that cinnamon?" Joseph asked, before Irene started to panic.  
  
"Oh no, Carmen!?" Irene then said, just as the shapeshifter collapsed, and began to sweat out primordia as she covered her nose.  
  
"Son of a... who's the asshole that brought cinnamon in here!?" she said, coughing as her ability to shapeshift was disrupted thanks to the spice.  
  
"I think _that_ would be him." John then said rather coldly, causing everyone to look towards the cavern entrance he pointed at and see a black and sliver figure that was downright inhuman while a linen pouch hung from its waist, and an odd looking talisman was attached to its wrist. While Irene and Pietro looked afraid of the monster and John himself was more unsure than anything, Jotaro and Joseph merely glared as they recognized the being.  
  
 _"Hierophant Black."_ Jotaro said, cracking his knuckles and summoning his stand Star Platinum, while Joseph did the same with Hermit Purple- both members of the Joestar family ready to kick the monster's ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the Queen Song "Killer Queen."
> 
> Jojo's Bizarre Alternates that appear/get mentioned for the first time in this chapter:  
> 1\. Andrea Mistano= Guido Mista from Part 5.  
> 2\. Acousta= Akira Otoishi.  
> 3\. The clerk at the Gem Shop= Yasuho Hirose from Part 8. Also, in my head, Yasuho's alternate is named Liliana Smith.  
> 4\. Norris Sky= Norisuke Higashikata IV from Part 8.   
> 5\. Morioh Sky= Josuke Higashikata from part 4.   
> 6\. Keith= Keicho Nijimura  
> 7\. Mike the Elf= Mikitaka Hazekura  
> 8\. Kyle the short minion that went unnamed in the chapter= Koichi Hirose in Part four.  
> 9\. Kyle's Girlfriend who wants to domesticate fire breathing swamp chickens= Yukako from part 4.
> 
> So yeah, in this fic's universe, Morioh Sky somehow ended up on Earth and saved Tomoko and little Josuke during that blizzard... and nearly died because of it. Though, he was saved by the same clockwork golem doctor who was involved in Pierre Polheffer's backstory. For those wondering however, Morioh was 14 when he met Irene, and about 17 when he nearly died. As Slumberthorn locks a person exposed to its thorns in a form of stasis, he was still physically and mentally around 17 when he finally woke up, and 22 when Irene left Spherean.
> 
> It also seems that Carmen also knew Amelia back when she was Koriander, as for what Amelia's "Treasure" was, I'll leave it to you guys to guess for now... though, if Amelia was indeed murdered... I wonder how she came back? Tyler did confirm that he saw her die... So that's certainly one hell of a mystery, huh folks?
> 
> Also, while Robiard Kisahs was never actually seen in-story, I will say that he was definitely a major prick. He was not only the reason Koriander the Slayer existed at all, but also why Amelia... died. He caused the incident that killed her, caused Tyler to leave town (not before causing the moment that led to Irene being engaged, but still...), and overall... was just a MAJOR asshole. No one actually showed genuine concern about his death, and were more concerned about the destruction of his notes and what he did behind the scenes. He was also Amelia's mentor in Spherean, but since she was murdered... 
> 
> Yeah. Next to Fanterra's version of Pucci, Carmen's Father may be one of the biggest assholes in Fanterra. 
> 
> As for the Mirror Knight that came along at the end of Koriander's brief stint as Joe White's bodyguard, it wasn't Swiftcart. Swiftcart's Predecessor was actually KIA by Carson the bandit breaking into Castle White to try and rob it. However, Carson was stopped by a pissed off and still in Mourning King Diomarlon after the death of his first wife, and decided to show that Diomarlon's mother was called "The Snow Queen" for a very good reason- Ice Magic that Diomarlon inherited from her. Joe White however, does not have any ice magic of his own. 
> 
> Ever since he barely escaped being frozen alive, Carson has sworn to never set foot in Miravel for as long as he lived. So yeah... Fanterra!Dio beat the crap out of the official Alternate version of Kars over in Fanterra.
> 
> Also, it seems Irene has a sister. Whether she'll show up later in the story itself is... highly possible. 
> 
> And finally, we get to the main thing about this chapter: Carmen and Irene's relationship. Irene really does see Carmen as just a friend. Carmen however... saw Irene as more than such, hence the kiss after she was freed from Koriander due to the power of Irene's platonic love for her best friend in Spherean. Of course, as Shapeshifters can be whatever gender they want at any time, had Irene returned Carmen's feelings for her, the apothecary would just... well, swap genders depending on Irene's preferences. However, Irene truly loves Jonathan romantically, and so there will be no lesbian relationship in this story.... at least not between Carmen and Irene.
> 
> Sorry guys. 
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Well, looks like team Jojo is in trouble.


	16. Matryoshka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Team Jojo tries to escape with Carmen in tow, Hierophant Black manages to get a hostage or two and drag them along as he searches Silvas' lair for something important to the monster's plans. 
> 
> However, what had seemed to Joseph and Jotaro to just be a twisted mockery of Kakyoin's Stand may end up revealing a rather horrifying truth about itself...

_What is this place?  
_  
That was the question that ran through Karas' mind as he had settled down to rest while the mage Tyler got to work on a talisman that'd help him get inside the lair of Silvas, just so the Tarotica Major could retrieve something, or rather _someone_ he'd sensed in the area. However, as he saw visions of another place that was alien- and yet oddly familiar, the being felt confused as he looked down at his hands and saw that instead of the black, sometimes bubbly liquid that made up his body, he saw normal flesh and blood hands like those of a human. He could also see he was in some sort of uniform, but he couldn't quite identify who or what army the being he was... possessing?... belonged to. However, as he looked around the city he found himself in, it reminded him of Bella Aquae, yet somehow he knew it wasn't.  
  
The clothes everyone wore was strange, and though he could tell they were all human, for some reason he couldn't make out any faces. He also felt like he was waiting for someone, as he reached for his neck and felt a thin chain resting against his skin, before tracing it with his fingers and reaching the charm that hung from it. As he looked down at it however, he felt... something warm, making him happy and yet tinging him with sadness for some unknown reason as he opened it up and saw the image of a human girl with rather fluffy looking hair.  
  
 _Who is this? Why... Why does she make me happy?  
_  
Before Karas could even say something, he blinked and found himself in some sort of vehicle, steering as he drove through the streets to a place he knew he had to be.  
  
 _How do I know how to drive this thing? Where am I... the hotel, wasn't it? To meet... a friend and... and take him and... someone else- no, two others somewhere. Yes, that's it... Wait. How do I know this?  
_  
Karas continued to act with an alien sense of familiarity as events played out, reaching his destination and getting out of the car, before looking up to the window and saluting- and also seeing his friend in the window. He couldn't make out his face clearly, nor could he make out the faces of his two companions- a brunette and an older man in an odd hat and bandages on his head. He listened in to what they talked about during the drive to their next destination, though he couldn't make out a thing they were saying, or even what he was saying. Especially as he started driving faster for some reason.  
  
 _Just where are we---  
_  
Sadly, the vision ended then, as he felt something poke at his body, causing the Tarotica to flinch as he stood and raised his right arm, hand making an odd gesture that seemed familiar yet alien again.  
  
 _"HEIL!"_ he found himself saying, before looking confuse as he lowered his arm slowly, and looked to Tyler holding onto his rabbit and also the completed talisman to go against Silvas' wards along with a small linen pouch. It took a moment before realizing he was back in the man's lab, instead of that other place. Though, judging by the look the black haired mage had on his face, it seemed he was quite suspicious of the Tarotica as the man then spoke.  
  
"You know, I couldn't tell if you were even asleep, but... were you dreaming?" Tyler Williams said, remembering the eerie feeling he got from Karas, especially the sense the thing gave off of being so... _wrong.  
_  
"None of... your business, mage." Karas said, his voice sounding like a pained wheeze as usual. "Did you finish... your task?"  
  
"Yeah." Tyler said, glaring as he handed the objects to the monster, "Also included an air freshener of sorts. Dragon lairs tend to stink after all... at least that's what I heard."  
  
"Of course." Karas said, getting the odd feeling that Tyler knew more than he let on- especially as the Tarotica got a good look at the scar on his neck. _"Why does that scar go all the way around his neck? Was he beheaded? No. That shouldn't be possible. He's human. He couldn't have been able to live without his head attached... Maybe he was strangled once and just barely survived. Yes. That makes sense."  
_  
"Something wrong?" Tyler then asked Karas, glaring as his pet rabbit Sinatra did the same as her owner towards the monster, clearly not trusting the thing that brought her back home after she got lost in the mountains. While she couldn't speak anymore, she could still sense evil when she saw it, and this thing... it wasn't just evil, but outright insane.  
  
"No, no, all... is well." Karas said, tying the linen pouch to his hip while wrapping the chain attached to the talisman around his wrist. "I will be... sure... to reward you as... you deserve..."  
  
"I did as you asked. My debt to you is cleared." Tyler said bluntly, "Now please, leave my home before I decide to banish you."  
  
Karas simply looked into the mage's eyes for a moment, feeling a little creeped out as he felt something about this mage made him... afraid? That was odd. Now why would a human...  
  
No. Now wasn't the time to think on that for now. He had work to do. With a slight nod, he then teleported away, leaving Tyler Williamson alone for now as his pet lion Aurelio walked in, just in time to see the man fall to his knees in fear now that Karas had left.  
  
"Master, what is the matter?" the lion then said, while Sinatra looked on in worry before shifting a bit-the lion also noticing the rabbit seemed a bit... chubbier than before.  
  
"That... that _thing_ that brought Sinatra back." Tyler then said, looking pale as he rubbed the base of his neck, "Good gods... how... how could _anyone_ do such horrible things to a man?"  
  
Before the lion could delve further, monstrous roars sounded through the tower, signalling that something had broken in. Or rather, was teleported in as he had a good feeling who or what had sent the things.  
  
"THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" Tyler then shouted, while Aurelio simply got ready for battle as Sinatra went off to hide in safety as all three of them heard something slither towards the door.

~0~

In the lair of Silvas the Dragon, the diamond scaled beast glared in recognition of the being that Jotaro had called "Hierophant Black." However, as the pain in the ass from the war so long ago glared right back at the dragon, it said not a word as Irene spoke up.  
  
 _"Wh...What the hell is that thing!?"_  
  
"That's the thing that caused Jotaro and I to end up here in the first place!" Joseph then said, getting the monster's attention as it looked at the brunette. However, as he noticed Hierophant Black actually tilt its head as if it was confused, he couldn't help but get a horrible feeling about what that thing might have been thinking.  
  
"Hey, what are you looking at!?" Joseph then said, though he didn't get an answer from what he was hoping to be an enemy Stand.  
  
"Humans... and John." Silvas then said, standing up and getting ready for a fight as he bared his fangs and arched his back like a cat ready to pounce on a rat, "I need you to get Carmen out of here while I take out the _unnatural load of trash_ that has dared to show up in my domain."  
  
"You sure you can handle it on your own, Silvas?" Jotaro then said, before cracking his knuckles, "In your old age, you may need a bit of help."  
  
"Jotaro, Sue asked us to protect Carmen, remember?" Joseph then said, just as Silvas shot Jotaro an annoyed look- while Carmen herself struggled to get up and try to stand up again, despite her current state caused by her cinnamon allergy. "We can't do that in her current state, not to mention we don't know what Hierophant Black is fully capable of, and he may try using her or even Pietro against us if we get distracted."  
  
Jotaro then looked at his grandfather, silent as he thought of a way to argue against his reasoning, though as he looked to Carmen, he groaned as he realized that he did have a job to do- and even if he wasn't cursed anymore, it was probably better to do it than risk getting destroyed by a pissed off, giant wolf all because he accidentally let the woman get killed.  
  
"Yare, yare..." he said as he then moved to pick Carmen up in his arms, before nodding to his companions and once again found himself running away from a potentially fun fight, with Pietro passing him by quickly and carrying Alphonse the alphyn, while Irene, Joseph and that guy Joseph had arrived with, John, followed after the teen. Unfortunately, as Jotaro took a moment to look over his shoulder to make sure no one lagged behind, he had found it odd that Hierophant Black even allowed most of them to pass- that is, until he saw Joseph getting closer to the possible stand, only for Hierophant Black to grab the brunette, and also John with its tentacles, before tying them up and flying up into the air with them in tow.  
  
"Gramps!" Jotaro cried out, ready to turn around and fight, only for Silvas to force both him and Irene out of his lair with a claw of stone that grabbed them and forced them out of the cavern- just as all exits began to disappear into the rock as if they never existed in the first place.  
  
Silvas however, glared at Hierophant Black, realizing what it was up to as he spoke.  
  
"So, trying to use a hostage situation, just so I don't annihilate you... Why am I not surprised by you, coward?" the dragon then said, only for the intruder to seemingly smirk as it began the chase, flying around the lair while Silvas pursued, using his control over the environment to shift treasure around so he wouldn't make a mess, as well as try and create barriers for the intrusive Heirophant to crash into and hopefully drop his hostages so that Silvas could get them out safely. Unfortunately, the creature kept dodging his attempts, and even tried to use Joseph and John as a shield against a nasty spike trap before Silvas was forced to remove it so not to hurt them.  
  
Or at least, not hurt Joseph anyway. His son in law was not really someone he cared for in all honesty.  
  
As the chase continued though, Silvas cursed every time his target escaped each and every time he swore he almost had it. While the being he had heard called Hierophant Black, but he himself knew as Karas seemed to be actually enjoying the game. Eventually though, he saw Karas and his two struggling prisoners fly into a crack in the cavern wall, causing the dragon to stop and glare as he realized in his current state, he was just much too large to follow.  
  
"Hmm... perhaps I could crush the damn abomination with the walls..." he said to himself, and honestly considering it until he remembered something important. "Oh wait, can't. Hostages would die too... well, at least Joseph would. Not so sure about John thanks to recent revelations... Looks like I'll just have to wait it out. I've got all exits sealed off, teleportation completely useless thanks to the runes I carved into the walls preventing that type of magic, and that tunnel leads to a complete dead end anyway... Karas will have to turn around eventually."

~0~

Outside of Silvas' lair, Pietro and Alphonse had just managed to exit the cavern, before the stag skidded to a halt at the edge of the cliff and looked down to see a large patch of slumberthorn below.  
  
"Well, that would have been difficult to get by." he said, stepping back and soon being met with the sight of a giant stone claw appearing in front of him. As the stag almost ended up jumping off the cliff, he relaxed a bit when he saw that it had just been transporting Irene, Jotaro and Carmen out of the cavern, until he noticed that there were still two people missing.  
  
"Where's Joseph and John?" Pietro then asked, as Carmen took a few deep breaths of fresh air and started to fight back against her allergic reaction to the cinnamon that Hierophant Black had brought along.  
  
"That monster captured them." Irene said while Jotaro set Carmen on her feet, "Silvas used his powers to send us out though, so we weren't able to go and help save them."  
  
Before Pietro could respond though, Carmen spoke up with her own comment.  
  
"Ugh, I _hate_ when I get all... slimy thanks to cinnamon... so glad I can just... absorb what I sweat out." she said as she started grumbling as her primordia sweat soaked dress started to dry out immediately, while Jotaro let go of Carmen and noticed his hands weren't coated in slime anymore. "Just what the hell was that Hierophant Black thing anyway?"  
  
"According to Swiftcart, that was the monster that kidnapped my fiance, Jonathan." Irene then said, causing Carmen to raise an eyebrow.  
  
"Seriously? You do realize that thing isn't like anything I've seen before, right?" Carmen then said, "I don't even know if I could slay it- even with my abilities as a shapeshifter..."  
  
"Carmen, you were sweating out Primodia, correct?" Jotaro said as he shifted subjects rather quickly.  
  
"Yeah, what about it?" Carmen asked as she crossed her arms.  
  
"The last shapeshifter Joseph and I met was dying due to her allergy, and she told us not to touch her before she... turned to goo on the road." Jotaro explained, "Some of it splashed onto my grandpa, and produced a bunch of foxes from his body, with him looking as if nothing happened. So, why didn't anything happen while I held you, Carmen?"  
  
"Because I wasn't dying, Sir Dumbass." Carmen said bluntly, and actually causing Jotaro's eye to twitch a bit in annoyance while he frowned, "If it's just the smell of cinnamon making me slime, I can just focus on reabsorbing what I sweat out so nothing new pops up from the ground, or stop whatever would have resulted from you touching me from existing."  
  
"Won't this have repercussions later?" Jotaro then asked as he crossed his arms and glared, "You did absorb part of my DNA while I was carrying you, right?"  
  
"Huh, guess you're not that much of a dumbass after all, good observation." Carmen said, genuinely impressed, "But yeah, while a non-shapeshifter's DNA is necessary to create new creatures with a Shapeshifter's Primordia, if a shifter like me is touched by another being like yourself while I had my allergic reaction going... it will usually lead to pregnancy for a shapeshifter- though allergy offspring aren't as common as those brought about through screwing like normal humans do."  
  
"So... you're..." Jotaro then said, finding himself clearly feeling awkward as he blushed at the thought of doing something his grandfather had done- and by accident this time as well. In fact, as Pietro and Irene were surprised by the fact Jotaro was blushing, both of them seemed concerned about Carmen being an unwed mother. Alphonse however, simply tilted his head in confusion.  
  
"If you're worried about me giving you a bastard, don't be." Carmen then said, causing Jotaro to raise an eyebrow in confusion, "Unless your DNA has a built in survival instinct, I'm not going to get pregnant. And if I do anyway? I'll just absorb the embryo in a couple of weeks from now."  
  
As both Irene and Pietro were visibly disturbed about how calmly Carmen admitted to planning a technical abortion, Jotaro however, was silent and seemed to be thinking of the ramifications of what an event could mean in his life. While he did sort of seem to be curious about what sort of kid he'd father, he also remembered that he wasn't from this world, and would have to leave Carmen and his child behind when he returned to his world. In fact, considering those circumstances, it was probably for the best, since he also found it incredibly unlikely that Carmen would develop a stand of her own due to absorbing his DNA, much less any child of his that she'd be carrying. In fact, if her plan failed, it'd probably only be due to some insane reason such as the embryo developing a stand before it could begin developing further, and that stand _making_ Carmen carry it to term... however long a shapeshifter pregnancy lasted anyway.  
  
"The rest of you go back to Carmen's shop and rest up... it's getting late." he then said after he noticed it was already evening as he turned around and headed towards he hidden entrance to Silvas' lair. "I'm going to go back inside and help out Silvas."  
  
Unfortunately, there'd be a sudden obstacle against that plan, mainly in the fact that when he tried to reach through the wall, he only found his hand hit solid rock.  
  
"What?" he said, before feeling around the wall to try and find the entrance- just in case he somehow touched the wrong spot.  
  
"Huh, guess because of that thing, the old lizard decided to put his lair on lockdown- no one gets in or out. Though, there should be plenty of air for Great Grand-dad John and your grandpa Joseph, though Hierophant Black will probably be finding a lot of dead ends."  
  
"Yeah, well I don't think a dragon can even take out a stand!" Jotaro snapped as he kept trying to find a way into the lair, "I'm not losing my grandpa again, not after barely saving his life and taking a risk before we even got here!"  
  
"Silvas isn't going to let either of them die, Dumbass!" Carmen snapped back, "Besides, _you_ need some rest too, so you come back with us to my shop, or else I'll grab a stem of slumberthorn, knock you out, and drag your ass back there with us!"  
  
"And how do you know he won't let them die, you damn bitch!?" Jotaro said, now turning to face the shapeshifter in anger.  
  
"Because while Silvas is an asshole at times, he does care about people, especially if letting them die means more trouble for him because their relatives want revenge." Carmen said, "I don't know what the hell happened back in your world, but you're in unknown territory from what I can see, so you either got to suck it up and trust my family for now, or go on and get yourself killed because you were rushing in without a damn plan!"  
  
"I've been in tougher spots before!" Jotaro said, "I can handle it, dammit!"  
  
As the two began to argue further, both Irene and Pietro knew they couldn't stand around all night and argue. In fact, it was Pietro himself who decided to comment on something he noticed about the arguement itself.  
  
"I don't know why, but it seems that there's something about Carmen that causes Jotaro to become much more expressive, compared to anyone else." he said, only to earn a glare from both Carmen and Jotaro, and causing the stag to squeak in fear before hiding behind Irene for protection.  
  
"Do you even know what this Hierophant Black thing is fully capable of?" Carmen then asked, causing Jotaro to growl as he looked the shapeshifter right in the eye.  
  
"No, and I don't think anyone else around here does either, though I do know it can create portals, turn its limbs into tentacles, and summon and fire off black gems- onyx or obsidian maybe, not sure which though, and seems to be able to get quite a great amount of distance from its user." Jotaro then said, "I've faced enemies without knowing what they could do, and learning in the fight itself. This isn't going to be any different."  
  
"So... why did Silvas seem to recognize that 'stand' anyway?" Carmen then asked, causing Jotaro to flinch.  
  
"What?" the teen then said, "Are you sure that's what you saw?"  
  
"Positive. Before you grabbed me, I swear I saw him glare in recognition." Carmen said, while Jotaro looked towards his other two companions, and Alphonse.  
  
"Pietro, can you playback Silvas' reaction to Karas, if you saw it?" he then asked, only for the stag to nod and bring up a mirror. In it, he displayed what he noticed of Silvas' face when Hierophant Black arrived, the dragon looking surprised for a moment, before glaring in a way that made Jotaro realize that it wasn't just a look of someone intruding, but a look of someone he knew and hated breaking in to his home.  
  
"So, if he dealt with that thing before..." Jotaro said, "He may know more about it after all..."  
  
"So, do you still want to try and wear yourself out to try and help Silvas?" Carmen then asked, causing Jotaro to lower his hat over his eyes and shake his head in defeat.  
  
"No... you win this time, Carmen. Let's go retreat." he said bitterly, "Though if anything happens to Joseph, I reserve the right to kick Silvas' ass."  
  
"Yeah, good luck with that." Carmen said as everyone recalled how Jotaro's attempt to use Star Platinum to try and pummel the dragon failed miserably. Though, as the shapeshifter then walked away, she then stretched a bit before she got on her hands and knees and focused. Before Jotaro could even ask, he watched as Carmen's body- including her dress and apron, morphed into a silvery scaled creature, before she started to look less and less human as wings sprouted from her back, a tail from the base of her spine, and horns sprouted from her head while she grew in size. In fact, once she was done, the woman had turned into a smaller, silvery dragon, and had lowered her neck and a wing before she spoke.  
  
"Climb on, I'll fly us back to the shop." she then said, while everyone else decided not to argue against it and simply do as she said as adrenaline wore off and fatigue started to set in. As soon as Carmen felt she had three riders on her back, and noticed that Alphonse had a little trouble climbing on, she simply grabbed the alphyn in her claw and took off, gliding in the air as the half moon overhead lit the landscape below them- save for the shadow cast by Carmen. While Jotaro did admit the view was nice, he was also a little thankful his grandfather wasn't flying with him in case his mere presence caused something to go wrong and make the shapeshifter crash against the ground.  
  
It only took five minutes before Carmen landed on the ground, letting Alphonse go and lowering a wing so that her three passengers could slide off her body before she turned back to normal- green dress and stained leather apron and all. Of course, after she unlocked the back door to the shop, Jotaro would see that the back room had a large table set up with a series of pestle and mortars, jars, drawers, bottles, beakers, a scale, a set of knives and finally two notebooks- an older one labeled "Wood Family Recipes" and a newer one that was labeled "Orders." Jotaro also noticed that the room had a hatch in the middle of the floor, a door opposite the back entrance that most likely led into the shop, a door to the right that was slight open to show a bedroom and a set of stairs to the left heading to the second floor of the building. Though, besides the table and work area, the back room seemed to be barely have any decoration at all.  
 __  
"So, she actually lives here, instead of just living somewhere else?" he thought to himself, while Carmen directed the group upstairs as she went over to close her bedroom door. Of course, he didn't comment as she explained how she just stayed on the first floor since she lived alone in the shop, but she did occasionally head upstairs to use the kitchen when she wanted to cook a normal meal for once.  
  
Seeing the upstairs part of the building though, and seeing that it looked more like a normal house what with a hallway or two leading to a kitchen and from what he could see, three spare bedrooms. There was also a living room lit up by those same crystals he saw in Silvas' lair- causing him to assume that they were similar to light bulbs back home, though he did wonder if they seemed brighter than even the flourescent bulbs that were used in some buildings back home- especially since they were definitely brighter than an incandescent light bulb. Other things he noticed as he sat down on a gold framed couch with red cushions were a bookshelf that covered an entire wall, a few paintings of what he assumed to be Carmen's relatives- even if one that depicted a woman in a red dress had someone she'd been with for the painting be removed if the clawmarks were a sign of anything, a rather nice coffee table in front of him, and finally the rest of the walls painted a pleasant pale blue.  
  
Certainly looked better than downstairs, in his opinion.  
  
"Listen, I gotta put away some stuff I got from a Shebwooly earlier today, so try not to break anything while I'm gone, alright?" Carmen said as she started to head back stairs.  
  
"Um, Miss Wood," Pietro then said, causing the shapeshifter to pause and look at the stag, "I have a magic table that can produce a meal for us, and if you don't mind me using it..."  
  
"I'll be back with food." Carmen said, "I may be an ex-killer, but I do know how to make something that's actually edible."  
  
"R-Right, sorry." Pietro said, blushing from embarrassment as Carmen left to do her work. About a few minutes later, she would return from the basement carrying something, head into the kitchen and finally return with some actually normal looking ham, cheese and turkey sandwiches.  
  
"Where did you get the meat?" Jotaro asked, noticing that the cold cuts were actually cold, while Carmen herself rolled her eyes.  
  
"Coldroom in the basement." she told the teen, "It's something Silvas put together when he built the place for my great-great grandma Sapphire before they even got together, and well, while I normally hate magic, I'm still willing to admit when it can be useful at times. Well, when it's used for healing and keeping meat and leftover meals fresh for a while."  
  
Deciding not to question it further, Jotaro simply shrugged and ate his sandwich, before looking at Pietro while the group ate. "Do you think you can use your mirrors to try and find Joseph?"  
  
"Well, there were plenty of reflective surfaces in there, so I don't see why not." Pietro said before conjuring up a mirror and positioning it so he, Jotaro, Irene and even Carmen could see what was going on once the stag found them.

~0~

Back in Silvas' Lair, the dragon himself was still waiting outside the crack Karas had fled into, glaring into the crack as he silently thought to himself.  
  
 _"I still can't believe he got out of his prison. I mean, I provided the stone used as the final layer of security from this very mountain! Hell, after Aedan and the Volcanads sealed that casket, I personally threw it into the ocean! Then again, I also knew that we should have made the bottle one solid piece of glass, but sadly, I only realized he could escape AFTER the fact. Sure, he couldn't open the bottle himself, but some idiot could always use a corkscrew if they thought it was a rare bottle of booze."_ he thought to himself, before growling in impatience, _"How much longer is it going to take for him to even turn around!? I mean really, I want to try and destroy him like I should have done over a millenium ago when I was still a ordinary white scaled dragon, but nooooo the fae decided to seal all the Tarotica Majors away, and even after the crap we went through to finally capture Karas and make him the last one to be sealed after Chance Mat and Marduk both vanished, Puck decided to just put him in the ocean, where he couldn't do jack squat, just like I was asked to guard....."  
_  
The crystal dragon's eyes widened as he realized just what was down the tunnel he waited in front of now, and remembered what he was asked to guard before moving his entire horde into the mountain from Draconia.  
  
 _"Oh GODS DAMMIT!"_ he thought, just in case speaking now would lead to Karas tricking him into confirming what the dragon assumed Karas had suspected about the mountain specifically. Though, how the black bubbly bastard found out, was something Silvas was hoping to learn before just eating the thing and letting his stomach destroy it- if it could destroy Karas anyway.

~0~

Karas moved down the tunnel, dragging his screaming hostages behind him without a care. However, he did find himself looking at the brown haired loudmouth every now and then, for some reason finding something familiar about him- more so than his other hostage or even the warrior he saw with the girl he had brought to Fanterra in the first place. Why, he didn't know, but simply reminded himself that he's not supposed to have these feelings in the first place and that as the Fifth ranking member of the Arcana Magi Tarotica Majors, it needed to focus on his goal.  
  
However... he did find it strange that these feelings started after he brought that girl to Fanterra...  
  
 _"No, no, mustn't think about that."_ he thought to himself, _"I have work to do."  
_  
Once he reached a dead end in the tunnel, he then let his eyes glow in the darkened room, before summoning forth a couple of orbs of light and let them hover around he room, lighting it up even more as they shined onto the large crystals growing from the walls. After this was done, he then set up a barrier at the entrance to the room, before letting go of his hostages by throwing them to the ground in silence. However, on the other end of the room, Karas noticed a very intricate looking seal, and in his eyes he could see that it pulsed with ancient magic.  
  
Ancient _fae_ magic.  
  
 _"Found him."_ Karas thought, before examining the seal, while paying no attention to his prisoners for the moment.  
  
As for Joseph Joestar, he and John ended up letting out a grunt when they were released, before the green eyed brunette saw their captor examine the fancy carvings on the wall, and feeling extremely uneasy as he wondered why "Hierophant Black" brought them there. Looking to John however, Joseph was actually surprised to see that the man he knew was actually Kars, was genuinely uneasy as he looked around the room.  
  
"I think we're not supposed to be here..." The amnesiac ultimate lifeform then whispered to Joseph, "I don't know why, but... but I feel like this place is hiding something horrible..."  
  
 _"Says the man who had pretty much caused DIO to exist."_ Joseph thought flatly, but decided not to say anything just yet in case his old enemy was faking his memory loss, and waiting for the right moment to strike. Especially since there wasn't any Red Stones or volcanoes to help Joseph out this time. Maybe Silvas could take on Kars, but at the moment, they had bigger problems. Mainly the thing that was inspecting what seemed to Joseph to be just some fancy art on a wall.  
  
"It seems to want whatever's behind that seal." Joseph said, once he spotted what looked like cracks in a wall- or rather, the signs that section of wall was really a door, and that the carving, once it started to glow actually extended over the cracks- like it was blocking it from being opened. "Though, I'm not sure why the thing kidnapped Veronica, and managed to capture Prince White... that thing is harder to read than my grandson."  
  
Hearing those words caused Karas to turn and face the loud brunette, seeing the man jump as it hovered closer. Though, as the green eyed man stood up and dusted himself off, Karas began to see the man switch between what he wore at present with a different outfit- a red and maroon sweater vest over a white collared shirt, with black suspenders and brown pants, while his hands were wearing brown, fingerless gloves instead of the whole white and black gloves the man wore now. What's more, in Karas' vision, the cave around them seemed to switch between the crystal filled cave in Fanterra, and another cave elsewhere, with stands holding lights that seemed to be able to shine sunlight- how he knew he could vaguely begin to remember now- and dead bodies in uniforms much like what he saw in his dream earlier that day.  
  
 _His old uniform_.  
  
"Hey, what are you looking at, ugly?" the brunette then asked once Karas was very close to his face, only for the Tarotica to start giggling as he finally remembered the truth. As for Joseph, the brunette was actually not expecting the stand to laugh as it pulled back, before surprising him further as it spoke.  
  
"I... I thought you looked... _familiar_..." the monster then said, "Tell me...  _Herr Joestar...._  how is _Caesar doing?"_  
  
"H-How do you know that name!?" Joseph said, feeling a chill down his spine as he watched Hierophant Black start to spin a bit while it began to laugh again, the brunette starting to get extremely annoyed while John was downright confused about what was even happening anymore. "And more importantly, how do you even know I'm a Joestar!?"  
  
Hierophant Black merely laughed again, twisting his waist completely around- and since it had no bones of his own, the monster's waist resembled a twisted string of licorice while its arms merely spread out while it gave a very creepy looking bow as its head was upside down and looked at Joseph directly.  
  
"I know now... that I've changed a lot since.... we last saw each other...." the creature said, before adding with something that made Joseph not only realize that this thing wasn't a stand, but also made his blood run cold.  
  
 _"Then again... last you saw me, Herr Joestar, I was only_ **half** the man I used to be!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the Vocaloid Song, "Matryoshka."
> 
> No new Jojo's Bizarre Alternates this chapter.
> 
> So, this is the second shortest chapter so far in the fic. This also drops a major bombshell about Karas/Hierophant Black and if you still don't know who he used to be, then the answer will be confirmed in the next chapter, which is, as of 5/4/2017 still in the process of being written out.
> 
> So yeah... this version of the fic is now up to date with the Space Battle Thread I made originally. YAY!
> 
> Moving on, Karas' observation of Tyler Williamson's neck? Well, let's just say that's an important hint about what exactly may be going on with the mage, and that scar may just relate to why exactly Karas felt afraid of Steely Dan's Goatee'd alternate. 
> 
> In regards to Karas' "reward" for Tyler's help though... yeah... Karas was just being a dick.
> 
> On Tyler's side of things though, not only did he not trust Karas at all, but he may have also somehow seen something related to how Karas came to be in the first place... Though, he did do a damn good job of not freaking out until after Karas left. 
> 
> After things are done with Karas though, the truth about Tyler Williamson and his pets will be revealed. Though, looking at my story notes, I still feel like I've done some sort of sin by making an alternate of Steely Dan of all people potentially sympathetic. 
> 
> As for Jotaro's attempt to try and get back into the cave after it went into lockdown? Well, for him, it wasn't too long ago that he lost three friends in the final battle against DIO and his minions, as well as the close call with his grandfather Joseph. So, he may be worried his grandfather could die again, and this time he won't be able to save him.
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Pietro Aifread Vs. THE WORLD!


	17. Take On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things look grim for Joseph and John as Karas awakens another Acrana Magi. However, a new ability Pietro discovers may just turn the tide of battle on its head...

"NO WAY!" Joseph snapped, after having realized what Hierophant Black had meant. "There is no goddamn way you're him!"  
  
"Joseph... do you know this thing?" John then asked, still completely confused about what was going on as Joseph only glanced at the man, before answering and keeping his eyes on Hierophant Black.  
  
"There is only one man who could be as Hierophant Black there described, and ask about Caesar despite not knowing what happened to my friend. To think, I'd completely forgotten about him until now..." Joseph said, "However, I refuse to believe _that thing_ could be Mark."  
  
As the creature that the brunette knew as Hierophant Black seemed to be hurt for a moment, the monster then started giggling again, before untwisting itself and turning its body upside down in the air before throwing its head back and spreading its arms wide as it began to laugh maniacally.  
  
"Oh Herr Joestar, I'm so _glad_ you remembered my old name!" it said, its voice no longer sounding pained or wheezing, almost as if its seemingly sickly persona was all just an act. "Yes, YES! I _used_ to be Mark, a simple German soldier who died due to his own foolishness and fear. I don't know how I ended up in this world though, but now... _NOW_ I have power I've never even dreamed of!"  
  
As the monster continued to laugh though, Joseph decided to try and think up a plan to strike when it was distracted, only to freeze when the creature stopped and straightened itself as it looked towards Joseph with a bit of worry.  
  
"You never did tell me how Caesar was." Hierophant Black- or perhaps the part of him that was still the soldier Mark that came through, then said, "Also... did my girl find out what happened to me? I hope she's alright..."  
  
"Caesar's dead. Has been for a little over fifty years now after fighting to the same monster that killed you." Joseph then said, noticing that 'Mark' actually seemed shocked at the news, "As for your girl, she was heartbroken, but I don't know if she moved on or not."  
  
While the comment about Mark's former girlfriend was a lie, it was only because he never asked if Mark's superiors learned about what happened and informed his next of kin. Probably not due to a chance that the Pillarmen were meant to be kept top secret, but still, Joseph didn't want to try risking what awful thing could happen if he admitted he didn't know.  
  
"Only.... Fifty?" the monster then said, clearly surprised "But, it's only been over a millennium that has passed here in this world... you... you look good for an old man, Herr Joestar..."  
  
"Well, I got younger in this world for some reason." Joseph said, watching "Mark" carefully as it seemed to think for a bit.  
  
"Oh... were... you at the airport on Earth? You... were with that other guy, weren't you... things certainly changed a lot while I was here... I'm sure my girl definitely wouldn't want to see me now, even if she was still alive..." the monster then said, before it began laughing again as Mark slipped away and Hierophant Black took over again.  
  
"But it doesn't matter now. I'm not that weakling Mark anymore. Now? NOW I am Karas the Hierophant, the sixth Arcana Magus Tarotica Major made by the glorious Blue Faerie Empire, and at the moment, the strongest and only one unsealed among my kind!" Karas then said, spinning a bit in the air as the monster began to ham it up, "I'm more than human now, more than some stupid Pillar Man that killed me... I could probably destroy an entire country or two if I felt like it!"  
  
"If that's true, then why are you here in some dragon's cave?" Joseph said, looking out the corner of his eye and spotting Pietro in the reflection of a large, metallic crystal nearby- though he made no move to let Karas know they were being watched for the moment.  
  
"Let's just say... I'm here to pick up an ally of mine." Karas said, before he flew back down to the seal and held up the object he had on tied to his wrist to the wall, "With this... skeleton key of sorts, I can free my poor comrade that's been locked up in this mountain and guarded by that blasted dragon, Silvas... so, Joestar and other prisoner, BEHOLD MONDE OF THE WORLD!"  
  
"HOLY SHIT!" Joseph said, while remembering DIO's stand, and how much trouble it caused in the final battle, not to mention it helped kill him for a few minutes before Jotaro brought the man back from the grave. While believing that Monde might just be the Fanterran version of THE WORLD, Joseph quickly summoned his stand Hermit Purple, and sent it towards Karas to try and stop the thing from freeing its ally.  
  
Karas however, simply saw the vines coming and used separated his other hand into a horde of tentacles to grab each vine Joseph sent his way like it was nothing. Though John tried to help by running in with his blades out in order to try and cut the tentacles, he found that they would simply fuse back together faster than he could cut them. As Joseph of course tried to begin a round of tug of war to try and prevent Karas from reaching the wall though, the Hierophant simply stretched its arm as it walked to the seal, and placed the ward against it for a moment.  
  
"Oh that's just cheating!" Joseph snapped, while he and John watched the seal flicker and the wall start sinking away to reveal a chamber hidden behind it that contained two things.  
  
First, was a pedestal holding a golden, draconic crown that was decorated with deep blue gemstones- not sapphires from what Joseph could tell, but definitely something much more expensive most likely. As Karas seemed surprised as he withdrew his tentacles and sent Joseph to the floor thanks to being caught off guard though, the Hierophant then picked up the crown and examined it.  
  
"Now, what's this doing here?" it said, apparently having not expected to find the crown at all as it decided to slide it into the side of his chest, the goo making up his body apparently keeping the crown safe for the moment, before Karas looked to the other thing in the chamber. That thing was bound by chains of light in such a way that it couldn't touch the ground, and looked to Joseph like some sort of curled up, stone monster that looked like it had a shell like an armordillo, but with six legs, long, cat or fox like ears and if it had been uncurled, probably would have looked terrifying.  
  
If it weren't for the fact it was asleep and had a bubble of snot coming out of its nose.  
  
_"Well, at least it doesn't look like DIO's Stand, The World."_ Joseph thought with a bit of relief, _"However, there's no telling what that thing can do, so I better keep my guard up."  
_  
"... There's not that much to behold..." John then said flatly, while Karas seemed to frown- it was hard to tell with that thing on its face covering its mouth after all- before it poked the sleeping creature.  
  
"Monde, wake up." Karas said, before waiting a moment. When it didn't respond, Karas then poked it a few more times while telling it to wake up. Unfortunately, as it reached the point that Karas was now extending a seemingly endless amount of tentacles to try and awaken the sleeping Monde as the sleeping monster's snoring caused it to seem even less threatening than before, the Hierophant decided to withdraw his tentacles and try a new approach.  
  
"DAMMIT MONDE!" Karas shouted, before smacking the monster's head a few times as it continued to speak, "You are ruining the damn moment, Gravel for Brains! SO WAKE UP ALREADY YOU FUCKING SON OF A SUBMARINER AND SCARE THE CRAP OUT OF THESE NIMRODS ALREADY!"  
  
Before Joseph and John could show their offense at being called nimrods, it was then that the snot bubble on the sleeping Monde burst, causing the creature to grumble as it opened up a pair of glowing red eyes and uncurl itself- breaking apart its chains and revealing it had not just six thick yet stubby looking limbs that ended in crystalline claws, but also a pair of very sharp looking fangs in its mouth.  
  
"Ow...." the monstrous Monde then said before rubbing its head, while Joseph noticed its voice sounded more like a child's than what he expected from the frightening monster before him, "Who was the idiot that interrupted my nice dream? There were pancakes and----"  
  
"I woke you up." Karas then said, getting Monde's attention as it flinched and looked at Karas with wide red eyes.  
  
"K-Karas! You're back..." Monde said, shrinking back in actual fear of the Hierophant for a moment, before looking hopeful. "Is... Is Chance Mat around too?"  
  
"No." Karas said with a glare, causing Monde to actually gulp, "Chance Mat is missing. At the moment, you and I are the only ones awake."  
  
"Oh..." Monde said, actually looking uneasy as Joseph started to feel a little sorry for the monster. "So, what did you wake me up for, Karas?"  
  
Karas said nothing, before forcibly turning Monde to face Joseph and John, causing the rock monster to glare at them both.  
  
"Once you've had some exercise, Monde..." Karas said before letting go of his fellow Arcana Magus and deciding to fly up to the ceiling to watch events unfold, "... I'll take you, _the weakest_ of us back with me to Master Bowie and his new Witch."  
  
"Got it!" Monde then said excitedly, before getting ready to fight as it raised its claws and grinned widely as Joseph soon saw that Monde didn't just have the two prominent fangs sticking out of its mouth, but also teeth very much like a shark's inside it as well!, "I'll crush these two meatbags like a bug..."  
  
"And how do you plan on doing that!?" Joseph asked, only to watch as Monde simply held up it's frontmost claws and pointed at the ground on either side of the pair, before flicking his claws upward and creating large slabs of stone... though, as Joseph noticed, there were holes from wherever there were crystals growing out of the ground, for some reason.  
  
Of course, as the two slabs were positioned to crush both of them, Joseph soon realized they were in trouble as he quickly got moving along with John, both of them just barely avoiding to get crushed.  
  
"YOU JUST HAD TO ASK, DIDN'T YOU!?" John snapped as the two of them began running and jumping across platforms created by Monde, while the Tarotica Major of The World Arcana laughed as he remained where he stood, while Joseph rolled his eyes and kept focusing on something he noticed as Monde played with them both. In fact, as he jumped through a hole left behind by a crystal that didn't seem to come with the slab of stone pulled from the wall, he realized that Monde for whatever reason could only manipulate one part of the cavern.  
  
In fact, as he looked up and saw a bunch of crystals over head, he soon go an idea as he summoned his stand and used it to grab onto the ceiling.  
  
"John, grab on!" Joseph said, holding his hand out as John leapt across a newly formed gap in the floor to try and grab the brunette's hand, only to instead be blindsided by a stone block and sent flying towards another wall. As Joseph had reeled himself up before Monde could strike him, he glared at the now laughing Karas as he watched the show below, while another sighting of Pietro's reflection caused Joseph to smirk as he had a feeling that the stag was showing the fight to Jotaro as well. Of course, as Joseph only pretended to admire his reflection when Karas looked his way- especially since he didn't want the black bubbling bastard to catch on that they were being watched, the brunette then thought about what he knew of Monde's powers.  
  
Which incidentally, wasn't that much since as far as he could tell, the thing could only manipulate plain old rock instead of that and the potentially more deadly crystals scattered about the cavern. As he looked down below and saw John pull out the blades of his former self's Light Mode as he started slicing through the rock thrown his way, Joseph then spoke up.  
  
"John, Monde can only stay in one spot!" he said, "Use your blades and rush him!"  
  
"Got it!" John said, before he made his way through the maze of slabs and platforms that Monde had made- leaping across gaps like a cat, slicing through stone blocks sent his way by Monde and even slicing a few pillars in half. Once he reached the monster controlling the battlefield though, he quickly ran in to attack, only to be blindsided as Monde sliced into John's shoulder with his claws, which revealed that they were in fact quite sharp... and it had at least four sets of them to use in battle.  
  
"Son of a bitch!" John said as he put a hand on his shoulder and grunted in pain, only to be caught by surprise when Monde slugged him across the jaw and sent the man flying across the chamber. As Joseph heard Karas laugh at the sight enough that it even seemed to be kicking its feet in the air while holding its gut, the brunette could only roll his eyes as he looked down and cringed at the sight of John's jaw actually dislocated before the man glared and shifted it back into place with a snap, and opening and closing his mouth a few times to test it as it immediately healed over.  
  
Of course, as Joseph also noticed that a small mouse seemed to have come out of the wound and ran off before the injury healed up, the brunette then knew full well that Silvas' son in law was indeed the Ultimate Life-form Kars, and decided to try something. Especially since it didn't seem that the amnesiac Ultimate Life form had noticed the mouse running away... before it got crushed by a rock.  
  
"John!" Joseph then said, "When you were still Kars, you could turn the very cells in your body into animals to attack with! Maybe if you make something durable enough, you could be able to overwhelm Monde!"  
  
"Well, that's good to know!" John said a bit sarcastically, "How exactly do I even _do_ that!?"  
  
"I don't know! I never asked the specifics!" Joseph snapped, while Karas kept laughing at what it seemed to think was brilliant comedy. Either that, or it just lost it's damn mind, Joseph wasn't exactly sure which at the moment, and assumed it may as well have been both.

~0~

In Carmen Wood's shop Jotaro, Pietro, Alphonse, Irene and Carmen herself were watching in worry as the fight played out on the mirror in front of them. With the crystal dragon Silvas' cavern in lockdown, combined with how long it'd take to get back to the entrance on foot and somehow getting past the slumberthorn, the group knew they wouldn't be able to get there in time to save both Joseph and John, and even worried if they could even survive the battle.  
  
"No..." Jotaro said a bit weakly as he stared at the mirror in visible fear while the thought of losing his grandfather again, when he couldn't save him again crossed his mind. "Gramps... please.... you gotta find a way to get out of there..."  
  
"Jotaro?" Irene said, looking concerned as she realized she'd never seen the teen like this, while Carmen sighed and placed a hand on the teen's shoulder- causing Jotaro to jump a bit before looking in confusion as the shapeshifter offered him a handkerchief.  
  
"Listen, you don't need to hide your tears, ok?" she said, while wiping away the tears Jotaro just now realized he was shedding, "But, from what I've heard from your grandpa's story, and how he faced off against my great-grandpa looooong before probably lost his memory... I can tell he's a lucky bastard, and if that luck is holding up on him, something will happen and save both of their asses over there."  
  
"But... what if his luck finally ran out?" Jotaro managed to say, which caused silence to fill the room as not even Alphonse seemed to be able to find something hopeful about the situation.  
  
In fact, as the rest of the group seemed to be worried about Joseph's possible impending death, Pietro pressed his hand against the mirror as he watched the crystal that Joseph was hanging onto break apart thanks to Monde, before changing the feed to watch as Joseph grabbed onto a platform with Hermit Purple before Monde started trying something new as he seemed to have figured out that by using the stone right under the crystals growing from them, he could use them to try and impale Joseph and John- going by how the image seemed to move and just barely miss Joseph on the ground.  
  
_"Hahaha! This is fun!"_ Monde said, causing Pietro to glare at the monster now that he saw the crystal he was viewing the battle from was right over the monster, _"Now I can really hurt these two!"_  
  
It was enough to make Pietro wish he could do something, to find a way to go to the cavern and help them right then and there. Of course, as his hand was still pressed against the glass of the mirror as he thought about finding a way to go to the battlefield, he found himself caught off guard as he felt his hand actually go through the mirror on his side, and cringe as it went through the window-like crystal on the other side. Unfortunately, before he could pull it back to his side, he found himself being pulled through after his hand and falling towards Monde with a scream.  
  
As Jotaro and the others looked up and saw Pietro's foot pass through the mirror as it remained where it was, they saw the stag on the other side land on top of Monde's head- which somehow went completely unnoticed by the monster itself as Pietro quickly leapt off the creature just in time to pull Joseph out of a trap. Feeling hopeful he could go there as well and help with Star Platinum, Jotaro tried to go through the mirror, only for his fingers to meet with solid glass, much to his irritation as he tried to punch it- only to be stopped by Carmen just in time.  
  
"Hey you idiot, that's the only thing keeping us aware of what's going on!" the shapeshifter then said, pulling Jotaro's arm back with a few tendrils she spawned from her arm, "You smash it, and we'll be worrying all night about them!"  
  
"Dammit Carmen, Pietro's unable to fight!" Jotaro said, "Even if he's there, he can't do anything besides run around!"  
  
"Actually..." Irene said, getting both of their attention as they looked at her instead of starting another argument, "Remember when Silvas said Pietro could break out of a cell he made from stone at anytime?"  
  
"Yeah... what's your point?" Jotaro said, raising an eyebrow while Carmen seemed honestly intrigued.  
  
"Well... while we were walking through the cavern just after he broke us out of the holding cell, Pietro.... told me he was strong enough to dent Adamantine." Irene said, causing Carmen to whistle while Jotaro just blinked in confusion.  
  
"Adamantine?" he asked, while Carmen groaned and decided to clarify.  
  
"Second hardest material in Fanterra. Probably not as hard as Silvas' scales, but it's close enough." she said, "So, if Pietro is _that_ strong, then if he actually fights... well, things probably got a bit more interesting."  
  
With that said, the remaining members of Team Jojo knew that for now, all they could do was watch the fight, and see what would happen.

~0~

Back in the cavern, Joseph had been busy running for his life, dodging platforms while John still tried to figure out how to use his body to create life once again while also using his blades to cut through stone blocks headed his way. In fact, the brunette trickster was starting to tire out as he wondered if his amazing luck was starting to run out at last, before he heard a familiar and inhuman scream.  
  
"Was... that Pietro!?" he said to himself, before just barely dodging a stone platform set to crush him, only to spot the stag land on Monde's head from the crystal above it. Of course, before he could ask what was going on, he saw the stag jump off of Monde and in a blink, grab Joseph and take him to the other side of the chamber and set him on the ground.  
  
"Pietro!?" Joseph then said, "What are you doing here.... more importantly, HOW did you even get here!?"  
  
"Well, at the moment, I just saved you from getting hit with a trap," Pietro said, "As for how, at the moment I have no idea at all yet, but considering the situation, now's _really_ not the time to answer questions, is it?"  
  
"Good point." Joseph said, while both heard Karas shout from overhead.  
  
"What the!? How the _hell_ did that guy even... I thought my barrier was supposed to prevent anyone from getting in our out, even with magic!" Karas said, apparently not realizing that Pietro could repel magic, and most likely used that to accidentally bypass the barrier.  
  
Monde however, was busy trying to squish John as after learning the Ultimate Life Form could simply recover from an injury rather quickly, Monde was having the time of its life impaling the man and squishing him, only to watch him heal up and keep fighting.  
  
"Hahaha! This is sooo much fun!" Monde said with a smile, "Once I kill your friend, Mister, I'm hoping that Karas lets me keep you, so that I can have someone to play with when I get rid of everything defacing the stone I can control, especially those stupid trees and flowers!"  
  
"Geeze, he's more extreme than Kars was..." Joseph said, grimacing at the thought of a world of stone, only to be met with silence as he looked and saw Pietro glare and clench his hand into a fist, before the brunette looked to John. Seeing that John was just getting up from another attack and regenerating while Monde stopped and suddenly realized that the chamber seemed to have gotten a very foreboding silence.  
  
Considering as John was now glaring at the Magus of The World Arcana as his blue eyes turned a glowing red, Joseph immediately gulped as he had a sinking feeling about what just happened.  
  
"Tell me, Monde." John then said, sounding extremely cold and calculating in his voice as he spoke, and also causing Pietro to sense danger and hide behind Joseph, "Do you really wish to eliminate all life in this world?"  
  
"Uh, yeah?" Monde said, sounding like John had just asked him a stupid question, "Starting with the area around this mountain, I'm gonna take out all that green stuff, and the humans and animals and make this a stone paradise!"  
  
John said nothing at first, before restoring his Light Mode blades from his within arms, while his body started to spark with a rainbow of energy that made Joseph quickly pull out his stand and start using it to get to higher ground with Pietro in tow.  
  
"Oh no!" Joseph said as he moved, "Shit! Shit! _Shit!"  
_  
As Pietro decided not to ask until they were out of danger, what John said next was enough to answer his unspoken question.  
  
"Monde of The World." he said, "If you so much as try to destroy the natural beauty of this world that I have come to love so much I will destroy you Monde, in order to protect not just my new home, but also the Galapaga of my late wife Sylvia and our descendants. As _Jojo_ knows full well, you cannot defeat the Ultimate Lifeform, _KARS!"  
_  
"OH NO! He has his memory back!" Joseph said as he heard what the formerly amnesiac Pillar Man had said then, while catching his breath on a ledge with Pietro sitting nearby and watching as the Ultimate Life form managed to bring forth a pair of wing and fire off the feathers from them and also creating an army of crab-armored squirrels that also sparked with the same power that Kars did.  
  
"Joseph, what just happened to John?" Pietro asked, just as the squirrels charged and attacked Monde, those cut by the monsters claws actually exploding with enough power to equal the sun itself as the Magus actually lost an arm.  
  
"John's... probably gone now." Joseph said, "He's Kars at the moment. And I'm honestly not sure whether to be thankful he's not willing to kill me right now, or worried that he'll want to later."  
  
"And the energy he and his squirrels are.... sparking with?" Pietro asked, causing Joseph to rub where his artificial hand joined to his body.  
  
"Hamon that's supercharged to be equal to the sun itself." Joseph said looking very uneasy as he saw a few of the squirrels actually manage to bite off some of Monde's shell and making the poor bastard scream, "Kind of how I lost my hand actually."  
  
"Yes, I know. I heard your story." Pietro said, looking much more afraid now as they watched Kars rapidly slice and melt Monde into liquid rock, while a few of his squirrels actually died in the process. Of course, when they saw that Monde was seemingly dead, Joseph relaxed a bit while Pietro watched the puddle carefully, and moved to climb down from the ledge.  
  
"Uh... Th-Thanks Kars!" Joseph said, "You um... saved the day! Good for you!"  
  
"Jojo." Kars said, looking towards the brunette, "Still the same as ever."  
  
Before Joseph could respond though, Pietro immediately grabbed the brunette and pulled him back on the ledge, and as Joseph saw the look in the stag's eye, he became worried as he wondered what was happening.  
  
"Pietro, what's wrong?"  
  
"It's not over." Pietro said, pointing towards the puddle as Joseph and even Kars watched as it began to bubble and rise as Monde suddenly reformed itself, and somehow rapidly cooling its body into a new, crystalline form. Though it still looked like an armadillo fused with a cat, it had lost two of its limbs, and as Joseph saw, the monster also had something hidden inside its shell that looked even more gemstones.  
  
"What the!?" Kars said, only to be socked by Monde extending its arm and actually stretching its fist enough to get some range. As Kars then got up and wiped his mouth as it healed itself, he glared angrily to the now crystalline Monde and growled. "Why won't you die!?"  
  
"Hehehe... Hey Karas, why don't you tell them?" Monde said, looking up at his black bodied companion who had now shifted into a position much like it was sitting in a chair with one leg crossing the other and its hands on its knees.  
  
"Simple, Johnny-boy..." Karas then said while irritating the Ultimate Lifeform even more, "The Tarotica Majors like myself and Monde were created with magic at our very cores... and as magic can't be destroyed.... neither can we."  
  
"Then you are a mockery of what I am." Kars said, "And I hope you and your kind are destroyed, Karas. If not by me, then whoever is able to find out your own weakness."  
  
Karas said nothing as Kars then charged forward, blades bared and body surrounded by Hamon. Of course, after the Hierophant and Monde exchanged an annoyed look in regards to Kars' tenacity, the crystalline Arcana Magus then extended his arm towards Kars, before suddenly making it larger and longer as he not only pushed Kars away, but also managed to pin the surprised Ultimate Lifeform to the cavern wall. Though Kars did try to break free just by surging out the Hamon he generated, he found that the crystalline body of Monde only absorbed it as the monster's body started to glow.  
  
"The 'Ultimate Lifeform,' huh?" Monde then said with a smirk while mocking the enraged Kars further, "More like the Ultimate Disappointment. I guess if I can't keep you as a playmate, Mister, then I guess you're just another thing to destroy in my Paradise of Stone!"  
  
With that said, Monde then started to crush Kars, while also making the man scream in pain as the hamon energy absorbed by Monde was redirected back at its prisoner. In fact, as Joseph was too stunned by the sight of the very monster who had been the greatest challenge of his life- even more so than DIO due to the fact that Kars didn't seem to have a physical weakness unlike the late time stopping vampire, just... suffer so much pain, as if he were still killable. However, the look he then caught from Kars- a look of so much pain and misery was not just something Joseph thought he'd never see in his life, but when combined with what the Ultimate Lifeform said next, Joseph Joestar knew that depite the past, somehow the man he hated more than even DIO had changed.  
  
_"Jojo... Please.... please help me..."  
_  
Joseph really had no idea what came over him then, as while he wanted Kars to suffer for all the crap he pulled he still found himself heading towards Monde, while Pietro was paralyzed with fear. In fact, as the brunette swung down with Hermit Purple towards Monde, his breath became visible to all around him in spite of the room itself being too warm for such a thing, and his body and stand started to give off yellow sparks as he readied his mechanical fist while his stand formed a thorny barrier around it, before pulling back his arm and screaming as he got close enough to Monde.  
_  
"OVERDRIVE!"_  
  
As Joseph then punched Monde's skull as hard as he could, he smirked as he saw the monster's head crack and pulled his fist back, only to look on in horror as he saw he only managed to just barely chip its body in terms of damage, while the power of Hamon he used ended up being weakened as Monde dispersed the energy around its body and just barely making Joseph 's body tingle.  
  
_"Shit! It looks like Monde's body is a lot like Volcanic Glass that's been tempered to a ridiculous degree!"_ Joseph thought as he just barely dodged Monde punching him as the monster turned to face the brunette, while still pinning Kars to the wall with its other arm- and even covering the ultimate lifeform's body with a crystalline shell. _"It's so solid, and if I'm right, then Monde can just block or redirect the flow of Hamon at will, which means he can become a Hamon Dampener instead of a Hamon Amplifier like the Red Stone of Aja!"  
_  
"Man, I am really having fun with this new body of mine!" Monde then said as he tried to punch Joseph again, only to see the man dodge once more, "I can not only do things I couldn't do before with my old one, but... now I can alter my body at will!"  
  
To demonstrate, Monde then turned his hand into a giant spike before he pointed it at Joseph and spoke again.  
  
"I'm not interested in playing with you anymore though, since you can die... so better just break you apart and let you get thrown away like any other crappy toy!"  
  
"OH NO!" Joseph said, realizing that he was most likely a dead man as the spike came right towards him. However, as Monde watched, his attack would end up missing completely as Joseph was instead pulled into the crystal by a pair of arms, before ending up back on the ledge with Pietro Aifread as he reached back into a large mirror next to him, before pulling out the unconscious Kars as well, and setting the Ultimate Lifeform on the ground and against a wall.  
  
"Huh?" Monde then said in surprise, before looking back and seeing the crystal shell he had around Kars was now empty. "HEY! You cheater! That's not how the game works! I'm supposed to kill you and win! You can't just pull a cheap shot like that!"  
  
As Monde started throwing a tantrum and stomping on the ground like the child he sounded like, Joseph merely cringed in pain a bit as he shook his head and shuddered a bit.  
  
"Okay, I'll admit that feels weird as hell Pietro, but why didn't you try that earlier!?" Joseph asked while the stag in question merely looked embarrassed.  
  
"W-Well, I wasn't even sure I could use it to pull you and Kars out of the proverbial fire, much less figured out how I did it the first time until now." Pietro said, "Honestly, while you were fighting, I snapped out of my fear-induced paralysis and started experimenting while Karas and Monde were distracted."  
  
"Well, at least you figured it out before I was run through like a shish kabob!" Joseph said with a smile, "How does that trick of yours work, anyway?"  
  
"It's an ability, not a trick- since a trick would imply a deception of some kind- which we both know I can't do." Pietro said flatly, "As for how it works..."  
  
He then looked to Monde and glared, before walking away from the cavern wall as he spoke again. "I'll tell you once our lives are no longer in danger, Joseph."  
  
As Joseph caught the anger in Pietro's voice, the trickster of the Joestar family decided to just take advantage of the moment to rest up and just watch the show- especially while noting that Karas didn't seem that interested in attacking them while they were down. Whether it was out of some sense of honor, because of a bit of Mark keeping the monster from doing so or even just because it didn't feel like it, he didn't know and in all honesty really didn't want to question it out loud in case it jinxed the moment of respite.  
  
As for Monde, he then looked at Pietro, watching him jumping down from the ledge and landing without a problem on the ground, before standing up straight and giving the coldest glare that Monde had seen in over a millenium. In fact, as Monde flinched, the crystalline monster remembered similiar looks from another Tarotica Major he knew and actually liked- The High Priestess Johanna whenever she seemed angry at Karas for bullying Monde. He didn't know why he liked her so much, but as he recalled, she was the very first person he saw when he came to be and just felt a connection to her he couldn't really explain.  
  
Of course, as he remembered then that he was currently being glared at by something that was in his eyes, a blemish on his world of stone, Monde then charged right at Pietro, intending to kill him as he roared.  
  
"Damn cheater! I'll kill you with a strike to your heart!" Monde said, before giggling, "Hehehe... heart... hart... that's kind of funny!"  
  
Pietro however, didn't say a word as he dodged the spike, the stag being full of energy due to not having partaken in the actual fight just yet like Kars and Joseph had before him. Of course, as Monde tried again, he managed to get Pietro in the side, only to see the stag step away without a scratch. Of course, as Monde had yet to catch on that the stag was using the crystal's reflective properties to avoid being hurt, the Arcana Magi of The World simply swung again in frustration, only to see his arm go through the stag like he wasn't even there.  
  
"Wh-What are you!? S-Some sort of ghost!?" Monde then said with fear, "I-I don't like ghosts! Th-They freak me out!"  
  
_"... Seriously? This thing almost kills me and manages to knock out Kars, and he's afraid of ghosts?"_ Joseph thought to himself while noticing Karas actually cover its face with a hand and shake its head in shame before Pietro actually spoke up.  
  
"No, I'm not a ghost." Pietro said, his tone as cold as the glare he gave with his ice blue eyes. "I am a man of flesh and blood that had once been a mirror for two centuries. However, as I am a Botanist in profession, I must say that you are blind, Monde if you believe a world of pure stone is beautiful, as life will always find a way to survive and bring true beauty to the world."  
  
"Blah-blah-blah." Monde said while using his hand to imitate someone flapping their gums, "Life is stupid. Plants, Flowers, bugs, people... even the statues they make are ugly, so I'm just gonna kill them all and play with Mister Kars for eternity in my stone paradise!"  
  
As Monde then attempted to punch Pietro with its fist, he was surprised as the deer man actually ran to another part of the cavern in a flash of reddish gold as Monde then stumbled and hit the ground hard.  
  
"Ow..." Monde said as he got up, only for Pietro to jump and land on Monde's head before the crystalline monster could see it coming. "HEY! THAT'S NOT NICE!"  
  
"From what you're saying, you want to destroy life, including the very moss that can form on a stone. As well as destroy statues meant to celebrate life or were once human before they were cursed into a stone form." Pietro said before jumping off and doing a flip in the air as Monde got up and turned to face the stag, who then landed next to a stalagmite, "As a Botanist, I cannot allow that. As I am also a person with something precious to lose if you carry out your plan, Monde, I _refuse_ to allow that."  
  
"And what are you gonna do about it?" Monde then asked, before noticing Pietro's icy glare turn into an expression of fiery rage as he spun and kicked the stalagmite hard enough that it not only broke, but flew through the air and hit Monde in the belly so hard, it became stuck. "Wh-What the!?"  
  
"I'll be your opponent now, Monde! I'm usually not one to do battle, but you have pushed me this far Monde, so prepare to reap what you've sown, and _TAKE ME ON!_ " Pietro roared before running at high speed towards the stunned Monde, jumping and delivering a series of rapid kicks to the stalagmite lodged inside the monster's body, driving it further and even shattering everything below Monde's waist! As Monde then used its arms to support itself, Pietro jumped again and noticed a spot on Monde's chest glow for a moment as the shards then started to reform into the monster's body and heal itself.  
  
That spot, Pietro realized, seemed very important as he started to get an idea.  
  
Meanwhile, as the duel between Monde and Pietro continued, Joseph found himself looking over the ledge in awe at the normally cowardly stag actually seem pretty badass... even if in his opinion, Pietro's one-liners probably needed work.  
  
"Damn, I don't think I've ever seen this side of Pietro before!" Joseph said to himself as he watched Pietro use his speed and his feet to actually give Monde a challenge- especially as the monster started trying to use the stone in the room to try and destroy Pietro, before the stag used his mirrors to escape some traps, and even spun in place fast enough to not just kick apart boulders headed his way, but also create a tornado of rubble that went right back at Monde. It was to Joseph, what was best described as a dance of survival filled with jumps, kicks, and a surprising amount of grace as Pietro took the lead and Monde struggled to keep up.  
  
"I wonder why he didn't like to fight, if he can pull stuff like this so easily!?" Joseph then said, only to look on in horror as Monde then managed to finally catch Pietro in a bear hug as Karas laughed. "OH NO!"  
  
"It looks like this battle is over!" Karas said, while Monde seemed to be intent on killing the stag as it shifted its grip by holding Pietro in one claw, and using the other to form a spike that aimed right at Pietro's head.  
  
That is, until the sound of something shattering echoed across the chamber, followed by Monde screaming in pain. As Joseph and Karas both looked to see what was wrong, they saw that Pietro had managed to kick through Monde's crystalline shell right in the chest, and was also poking what looked like a glowing orb with his foot.  
  
"ST-STOP! IT HURTS!" Monde shrieked as the magic keeping it alive started to falter thanks to Pietro's ability to nullify magic, forcing the monster to let Pietro go in hopes to get the effect to stop. However, it didn't as even Pietro watched in confusion on the ground and saw Monde's body seemingly change between crystal, stone and flesh and blood as it began to shrink in size. In fact, as Pietro became horrified by what he saw- even more so than Joseph who was busy holding on to Kars as the ledge that was formed by Monde's manipulation of the cavern started to sink into the floor- just in case he needed something to break his fall if it came to that, more than anything, the stag also realized just what Monde came from originally as the screaming finally stopped.  
  
There on the ground, was not a monster with a crystalline body, but a small, young fae that looked like it had been twisted into something else entirely as Pietro noticed signs of forced alterations on its body- stitches from surgery, staples, even a broken shell while a blue gem remained untouched in the child's forehead. As Pietro quickly ran over to pick it up and cradle the true form of Monde, trying to comfort it as he realized that there was no saving it, Pietro wept as he apologized over and over again as the creature looked up at him with big, red eyes and spoke one last thing.  
_  
"Momma?"  
_  
After that one word was spoken, Monde's eyes lost the light of life within them, and its body started to fade away completely as Joseph got up and walked over to the stag, just in time to see Pietro place Monde gently on the floor and close its eyes as its head faded away like it never existed... save for a single blue gem that immediately split in half like someone had managed to cut it cleanly with a blade.  
  
Pietro felt sick at his stomach as he realized that someone had managed to go that far as to turn an innocent child into a horrible monster, and if the Arcanus Magi had been a product of the Blue Faerie Empire, then that there was a good reason that Salvador never even told Pietro about them. Sure, he also realized that if he didn't do what he did, then Joseph, the people of Thornsborough, and perhaps even everyone he knew in Deerbank would be destroyed by Monde if he somehow managed to get past Silvas. However, as familiar feelings welled up in the stag that he hadn't felt since he was a child, when Joseph moved to put a hand on his shoulder in comfort, Pietro simply looked up at the brunette with tears in his eyes, and silently asked the man if he had done the right thing after all.  
  
Before Joseph could say anything to even try and ease Pietro's doubts, an apathetic looking Karas headed towards the ground and crossed its arms as it stared at Pietro and spoke.  
  
"Hmph. Monde always was the weakest of us. I should have known he'd find a way to lose just as soon as he was unsealed." Karas then said, causing Pietro to look up and angrily snap at the Hierophant.  
  
"He was _a child,_ Karas!" Pietro shouted, "An actual fae child, who was turned into... into some sort of weapon! How the hell can you be so uncaring about that!?"  
  
"Because I didn't give a damn about the brat in the first place." Karas said, "I just freed him to use him as a tool, not because I cared for him. He was useful, but, it seems I'll have to do something to to try and look good once I manage to free the others... _especially_ High Priestess Johanna. I don't know why she acted like a mother to the thing, but since she was the third to be made and the second rank among us, I'd rather not get on her bad side when I find her."  
  
"What?" Pietro said, before Karas immediately grabbed the stag's neck and lifted him up in the air to strangle him.  
  
"As the first being to actually kill one of us," Karas then said, "I think I'll avenge the stupid brat by ending you."  
  
Luckily for the stag, Karas soon learned first hand how Pietro managed to kill Monde, as the stag's immunity to magic started to kick in and start to actually freeze Karas' arm before it started to crack apart, causing the Hierophant to scream in pain and let go of the stag as its arm shattered apart. As Pietro hit the floor though, Joseph then charged in with Hermit Purple charged with Hamon and wrapped around his arms in such a way to form a thorned pair of giant claws.  
  
"PURPLE THORN OVERDRIVE!" Joseph screamed, leaping onto Karas and pinning him on the floor before waling on the monster in pure rage. He didn't care that Karas was once human anymore. He didn't care if there was a chance to appeal to the part of the monster that was once Mark. Karas had shown to be just as much of a monster as Kars had been after Wamu died, in fact, the Hierophant's name was just one later away from Kars, and somehow, this _thing_ had somehow shown itself to be even WORSE than Kars and perhaps even DIO for just trying to claim vengeance for Monde just to look good in the eyes of its peers. It didn't care at all about the poor kid, it just wanted to use its comrades as tools for its own goals by whatever means necessary.  
  
So, in Joseph's mind, why should he care that Karas was once human? And as Joseph managed to break the weird apparatus over Karas' mouth with his currently spiked fist, he looked at the monster's face and saw that instead of a human mouth, Karas had some sort of sideways, insectoid looking thing. Of course, as Joseph was caught off guard by this, Karas took the moment to slip away, the silver bits of metal on its body broken in places, its mouth revealed and one eye shattered to reveal a dead looking human one underneath, though as Joseph saw, there was sorrow in what little he could see of Mark's remaining humanity.  
  
"Sorry... Herr Joestar..." Karas said as it channeled the unlucky soldier, "I... I can't help it... the things that crazy bitch did to me when I woke up in this world... the thing she turned me into... it's too strong..."  
  
"Mark..." Joseph said, watching as Karas' writhed a bit as the exposed human eye became covered up again by a silver lens, as the Hierophant painfully took back over its body and glared at the brunette.  
  
"That damn fool I used to be... should have stayed asleep." Karas then said, "How dare he insult my beloved Empress Tara... feh, no matter now. I'll be back, Joseph Joestar. Count on it."  
  
With that said, the monster escaped and the barrier over the tunnel entrance vanished with him. Just as Joseph dismissed his stand and was about to check on Pietro though, he heard a groan coming from Kars and immediately rushed over to check on him, noting that the blades he used for Light Mode had returned to where they were hidden in his body.  
  
"Kars?" Joseph asked a bit nervously, while really hoping he wasn't about to have to fight the Ultimate Lifeform again after the battle they both just endured, while Kars simply groaned and opened his eyes in confusion- especially as Joseph noticed they were blue again instead of red.  
  
"Kars...?" John Wood then asked, apparently having taken back control after getting knocked out, "Joseph, I don't think I'm him anymore... but... what happened to Monde and Karas?"  
  
Joseph simply looked over in worry to Pietro, the stag looking like he'd seen a ghost as he sat there with tears streaming down his face, before the brunette turned back to face the son in law of Silvas.  
  
"John... what's the last thing you remember?" Joseph then asked trying to test something as John then blinked at him in confusion.  
  
"I... remember facing Monde, and getting angry at him about what he said... but then my memory seems to have blanked out..." John said before looking incredibly worried, "I... didn't hurt anyone, did I?"  
  
"Not us, no. But you did help Pietro get an advantage in the end." Joseph said with a smile, and also feeling relieved that it seemed that Kars hadn't fully returned... or at the least wasn't trying to kill him for now. Of course, as Pietro then let out a squeak as he heard his name mentioned, he stood up and looked a bit miserable as he walked over to Joseph and John while the latter was being helped up by Joseph himself.  
  
"I... don't think I deserve the praise." Pietro said, "I was only trying to stop what I thought was a monster, before... before I learned it was only a child turned into one."  
  
"Oh no..." John then said, looking genuinely horrified at the thought, while Joseph said nothing as he couldn't help but feel that something else was bothering Pietro as well. But, as he felt that getting out of Silvas' lair was more important at the moment, he started walking and even picked up the pieces of Monde's remains with his stand as he slipped the two halves of the gem in his pants pocket. Of course, as he turned around and saw that John and Pietro were still there, he sighed and spoke up.  
  
"We should probably get going." Joseph then said with a yawn, "After all that, I could use a good meal, maybe a nice warm bed too... not to mention that if Silvas is still waiting on Karas to turn around, we should at least go tell him what happened."  
  
"R-Right." Pietro said while John was silent at the mention of his father in law as they followed after Joseph into the tunnel. Though, a short time later they would encounter someone heading their way that had patches of scales on their pale skin, snow-white hair, pale blue eyes, and a simple outfit consisting of just a plain white shirt and gray pants. As the rather young looking stranger stopped to catch his breath though, Joseph couldn't help but find something oddly familiar about this guy as the stranger spoke.  
  
"Oh good... you're alive..." he said panting for breath, while John seemed to recognize him and nervously went to examine the wall as if it became much more interesting, "Sweet Grimm, I am getting old..."  
  
"Uh.... who the hell are you?" Joseph asked, getting an annoyed look from the man.  
  
"Okay Mr. I-cheated-on-my-wife-and-had-a-bastard-son, I can forgive you for not knowing that dragons can take on human form _this time,"_ the man said, speaking in what Joseph then realized was Silvas' voice, "But what the hell happened to Karas a--- HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET BACK IN HERE!?"  
  
As he was now pointing to Pietro, the stag simply gave a nervous chuckle as he silently summoned two small mirrors before him, stuck his hand through one and had it come out the other one like it was nothing. Though, as there was nothing occupying the space between the two mirrors, Silvas did find himself surprised by the stag's new ability.  
  
"I erm... accidentally fell through a mirror I conjured up in Carmen's shop, and entered the battle as a result." Pietro said, "In fact, I've discovered that if I can just imagine the other end of the mirror or reflective surface I want to go through, I can not only travel quickly, but also avoid being hit when Monde.... on second thought... I-I'll just show you what I witnessed."  
  
"Monde got out?" Silvas asked looking worried before watching the battle replay on Pietro's remaining mirror as he withdrew his arm and dismissed the other one. After that was done though, Silvas became rather quiet as he mentally reviewed what he'd just seen, before asking Pietro something.  
  
"Could you replay the part where Karas unsealed Monde- just before the monster was awoken." Silvas then said, and as Pietro nodded and did as was asked, Silvas then stopped him just as Karas had stowed the crown into his body.  
  
"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" Silvas then roared, "If he ever shows up around here again, I'll fry the fucking bastard!"  
  
"What's so special about some crown?" Joseph asked, "You've probably got like what, hundreds of them in your horde?"  
  
"2,417 actually, but that's not important right now." Silvas said, "The one Karas stole however, happens to be the storage mode for the Dragon Knight's Armor from the original Seven Soldiers of Fortune. I'd been asked to guard it a very long time ago until it's destined wielder came along to claim it. Or would have if a _certain incident_ didn't cause that wielder to die before he could even get here and claim the damn thing!"  
  
"Seven Soldiers of Fortune?" Joseph asked, "And what exactly was this incident?"  
  
"If you want to know more, go find the poor bastard that had to deal with that damn spoiled brat!" Silvas then snapped, "NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CAVERN SO I CAN CLEAN UP THIS MESS!"  
  
Before Joseph could even protest, he, Pietro and John were then grabbed from below by a stone claw, before being deposited right at the crossroads leading to the woods John called home. As John silently slipped away into the forest to get some sleep in the Galapaga though, Joseph looked at Pietro with an obvious question on his mind.  
  
"So... who are the Seven Soldiers of Fortune, and what incident was he talking about?" Joseph asked, while Pietro sighed.  
  
"The Seven Soldiers of Fortune is the collective name for the knights of the seven kingdoms of Fanterra- that's all I know on that subject I'm afraid." Pietro said, "As for the incident, all I know of that one is that Marik Zavriel was involved, and no one likes mentioning Draconia in case he's nearby. So, I'm afraid I don't know much of that one either."  
  
"I see." Joseph said with a nod, and patted Pietro on the shoulder, "Listen, think you can use your new tr-- I mean ability to get us back to Carmen's shop quickly? I'm sure they're worried about us."  
  
"Of course." Pietro said quietly with a nod, before summoning a mirror and showing the room he had left before upon it. As Joseph also saw Jotaro look surprised at seeing them, Pietro then stuck pressed his hand against the glass and focused on turning it into a gateway into the shop, before letting Joseph go through first. Once the brunette was safely in the shop though, Pietro himself stepped through, and cut the connection, the mirror he left at the crossroads falling to the ground and breaking to pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter name comes from the song "Take On Me" by the group A-ha!
> 
> No new Jojo's Bizarre Alternates this chapter.
> 
> So... this chapter is probably the first BIG battle of the fic. Not only does Kars make a brief return... only to get his butt kicked due to being rusty, but Pietro also shows his stuff. 
> 
> Of course, Karas still escapes, and the Arcana Magi's origins seem to be hinted at quite heavily here, but at least our heroes survived. As for Jotaro's emotional moment, well, he was at risk of losing his grandpa again after recently losing some good friends, and all he could do was watch. 
> 
> Even if he tries to be stoic all the time, a teenager like Jotaro could still have a breaking point. 
> 
> Also, for those wondering? I used the mythological Carbuncle as a basis for Monde. 
> 
> As for why Pietro acted as he did when Monde's true form was revealed... well, that'll be revealed soon.
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- The aftermath of Karas' attempt to free Monde for the villains, followed by Team Jojo preparing to storm a tower for some payback on a certain mage...


	18. Sun Goes Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Bowie gets the Dragon Knight's Crown, the next morning holds not just Team Jojo preparing to face off against Tyler Williamson, but also a few surprising revelations...
> 
> Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Clawthorn, Sir Fang prepares to leave for Unicorn's Blade...

Bowie and Amelia were having dinner in the witch's castle sanctuary, the goblin having his first meal outside of his and Amelia's shared room since he'd been freed from his petrified state. Of course, while the interrogation Bowie performed earlier that day on Prince Jonathan White had yielded some interesting information, he couldn't help but let his thoughts focus on what he'd learned overall.  
  
First, he found out that after the empire fell, the Fae Knight's armor had outright gone missing, and no one so far had been able to locate the belt it became when not in use. After only 623 years though, a new knight came about in the then newly discovered Usaginaba Isles, the Peach Knight. As Bowie found out, the story of that knight involved a child being born from a giant peach- a fruit based floral fae as far as the goblin was concerned- and raised by an elderly couple who longed for a child of their own. One day though the child, Momotaro, decided to go out into the world and see what he could. So with some food given to him by his mother and a sword and armor from his father, Momotaro traveled the Isles and befriended a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant by sharing his food with them. Eventually, the quartet would come across an island of monsters called Oni- a species of Ogre from Bowie's understanding, and siege their fortress to keep them from further terrorizing the innocent people who were brave enough to try and live there.  
  
Somehow, the four were victorious against the army they went against, and as a result, Momotaro's gear became a treasure of the kingdom and enchanted to turn into something else when not in use- specifically, a pair of bracers. Of course, the spirits of the dog, monkey, and pheasant were eventually bound to the armor as Familiara so they may be summoned by the current owner of the armor and aid them in a time of need, either by just giving advice, or just helping them fight.  
  
The second thing he learned, that wasn't mentioned at all in the history books Amelia brought him, was the fact that Draconia fell roughly 500 years before he gained his freedom. The princess of that kingdom, Sara Drake, had been the god-daughter of one Marik Zavriel and was such a spoiled brat, that she forced the manticore fae to actually murder her true love against his will, and used something called Puckroot to change who she felt her soulmate was to be- specifically a married man of the then newly founded kingdom of Clawthorn. After kidnapping him in front of the man's wife, and using something called the curse of scaled eyes to make him forget the fact he was already married, the rotten princess tried to prepare for her own wedding to him, only to be foiled by the man's wife. After that disaster, apparently a war broke out with some unknown party and so as Marik had cut ties with Draconia after being made to kill an innocent man- and the one meant to become the next Dragon Knight, the kingdom not only was defenseless, but all they could do was put Sara into a deep sleep inside a crystal in hopes to awaken her in the event some miracle occurred to save them.  
  
Considering the fact that Draconia no longer existed at present, it seemed that the princess still slept, and her very name became taboo among the fae in case Marik Zavriel was in the area even now. In fact, while Bowie was tempted to find a way to awaken the sleeping draconian, he ultimately decided against it in case doing so would cause him more trouble than it was worth. Of course, as he also felt sorry for the one who stabbed him in the eye with his stinger because of what Sara put him through, Bowie felt that not getting the second son of Calina Zavriel involved in all this would be for the best.  
  
However, the Dragon Knight's replacement in the Seven Soldiers of Fortune came in the form of the new kingdom of Golemia's Clockwork Knights, and as he didn't know that much about them even from Jonathan's information, he did admit that a kingdom ruled by a construct and actually thriving was quite surprising, to say the least. Unfortunately, as he wanted to try getting something from Golemia in his plans, Amelia flat out vetoed the idea due to being insulted that her magic wouldn't be enough and that Bowie would rely on machines in his plans as well.  
  
Even though he tried to beg Amelia to reconsider by attempting to pull off a pouting puppy dog look, it seemed Bowie wouldn't be getting any clockwork automatons to work for him.  
  
Finally, as Bowie twirled his fork between his fingers for a moment before he sighed and looked out the window of the dining room to see the moonlit garden outside, the goblin thought about the final thing that came up during his interrogation. A name he mentioned that he could have sworn he didn't know during his trial- Mother Hulda, the Storykeeper he'd been accused of attacking over a millennium ago. Even when Jonathan had asked him how he knew the Story keeper's name, Bowie was honestly confused by this knowledge as he admitted he didn't know, or rather, felt he shouldn't have known that.  
  
_"And yet, I did..."_ Bowie thought to himself, his confusion showing clear on his face as he ate his squid ink-infused pasta that Amelia had cooked for them. _"Why do I know her name now, when I truly didn't back then during the trial? I know it wasn't mentioned in any of the history books Amelia brought me, I double checked myself after questioning the prince. So... where did Mother Hulda come from? I... I couldn't have really attacked her then, could I?"  
_  
As he kept eating though, his mind started to wander to other things that he noticed were bothering him a bit, with how this place seemed so familiar to him, even though he had never even been there before in his life until he woke up in Amelia's room after she freed him. What's more, when he snuck away from Amelia while she was showing him around, he somehow knew how to get to the castle's library on instinct when it was on the other side of the castle itself! Not to mention that he also felt like there was something wrong with not just the castle, but perhaps the area it was located in general... as if somehow, he could sense how the area around him was just barely clinging to life.  
  
"Something wrong, Bowie?" Amelia then said, drawing him out of his thoughts.  
  
"Hm? Oh, no, no... it's nothing." Bowie then said with a smile, "I must admit, for something that should have taken a little while, Karas has been gone all day getting Monde, don't you think?"  
  
"Maybe he was devoured by whatever was guarding Monde's prison." Amelia then said, and as Bowie noticed, her tone did have a bit of hopefulness to it.  
  
"Actually... it's a bit more complicated than that..." Karas then said from behind Amelia's chair, causing her to jump as the Arcana Magi had apparently just returned. However, as Bowie saw the Hierophant's arm was thawing out and regenerating slowly and that the apparatus it had on its face was gone, the goblin became concerned for his ally's condition.  
  
"Karas? What happened to you?" Bowie then asked, having never known that a Tarotica Major could end up looking like they'd gone through a blender. Sure, the Tarotica Minors were less durable for some reason, but as far as Bowie could recall, nothing could do this much damage to a Major. In fact, he honestly started to wonder if perhaps things had really changed a bit too much in the time he spent as a statue, to the point that the Arcana Magi were actually weaker than whatever else was out there in the world nowadays.  
  
"I... freed Monde.... however..." Karas began, sounding even more pained now that the apparatus he usually had was gone, and the sideways, insectoid mouth that always gave Bowie the creeps was fully exposed, "We were... blindsided by... Pietro Aifread. He fought Monde... and killed him. Though I tried to avenge poor Monde... I... did not expect the stag... to have an aura of anti-magic.... that could... harm me just by touching him."  
  
"Just one stag killed a Tarotica Major?" Bowie said, looking worried now, "I thought this Pietro fellow was an admitted Pacifist. What could have driven him to fight?"  
  
"Monde wished to turn Miravel into a paradise of stone... apparently, the deer dork didn't wish to take that idea _to_ _heart..."_ Karas then said, giving what Bowie could outright tell was a smirk as both the goblin and Amelia groaned.  
  
"Terrible pun, Karas. Especially since your phrasing makes it feel forced." Bowie said as he shot the Hierophant a glare.  
  
"Though..." Amelia then said, "Pietro's ability to harm Karas may be a side effect of being in a mirror for 200 years, and as my attempts to spy on the two otherworlders with him has revealed that he can reflect magic right back at the caster, he won't be going back into the mirror again."  
  
"Well then, I guess I'll certainly have a challenge planning around the stag, won't I?" Bowie then said after a moment of thought and gave a shrug as he gave a dramatic sigh. "Though, it's a shame Monde was destroyed. As I recall, his childish personality was rather welcome in dour surroundings when he wasn't intent on destroying people. I must admit, that whoever made the Arcana Magi certainly knew how to create an artificial personality."  
  
As the goblin seemed to not realize that the Arcana Magi weren't mere constructs after all but once living beings as Karas gave an annoyed look when Bowie wasn't looking, the Hierophant silently decided to not give the goblin the truth about them and spare his feelings. Why this was, Karas didn't actually know, but whether it was because he actually _liked_ the goblin he worked for or just what he was programmed to be like, he didn't care to find out.  
  
"Yes. It was truly a loss." Karas said flatly, especially since he personally felt relieved that Monde wouldn't be annoying him after all.  
  
"In any case, losses can happen to even the most victorious of parties once in a while." Bowie then said with a smile as he ate his meal. "Then again, with every loss, comes a lesson for the future."  
  
"I... wouldn't consider it a complete loss, as I hope you don't mind a... consolation prize... Lord Bowie." Karas then said, before reaching into his body and pulling out the draconic crown he stole from Silvas' lair. As he hovered over to Bowie, and used his good arm to present it as he kneeled- and lost a few of the silver bits of metal on his chest in the process, the Hierophant then bowed its head and waited for the goblin's reaction.  
  
Not even he expected that Bowie would look surprised at the crown, before giving a squeal of delight as he snatched it from Karas' hand, picked up his cane, and ran out of the room. In fact, as Karas' mouth remained open in surprise as he stared at the open door Bowie had left through, he honestly didn't have a response prepared until Amelia spoke up.  
  
"Wonder what that was about?" the witch then said as she finished her meal, while Karas simply groaned and faced the mask wearing blond.  
  
"Well, my _dear serpent,"_ Karas then said as he earned himself a glare from Amelia, "I assume that... Lord Bowie just had an idea."  
  
"Do not call me that, Karas." Amelia said, clenching her hand into a fist as she slowly sipped her wine, "You may have led me to Bowie, but remember- _I'm_ the one he trusts most at the moment."  
  
"We'll see about that..." Karas said, "Though, I do wonder how long you can keep up your... little act? That mask of yours will come off eventually... and once he sees your true face... well, I'm sure you'll be able to explain... everything to Tyler Williamson over in Thornsborough... or rather... his grave..."  
  
"Who's... Tyler Williamson?" Amelia asked, genuinely confused as Karas seemed surprised.  
  
"A dead man now." Karas said, "He thought he knew you when I mentioned your name, but if you don't... well, he may have mistaken you for someone else he saw die."  
  
"Someone... he saw die?" Amelia then said quietly to herself, frowning as she felt like that something wasn't right. Of course, as Karas chose that moment to leave the room, the Arcana Major wouldn't see her pull a mirror out of her cloak, and take her mask off to look at her face. "Why does that make me feel... _afraid?_ Did I... lose something important when I awoke in those ruins two years ago?"  
  
As Amelia looked at her reflection, she felt something eat away at her heart before she looked away and slipped her mask back on. She didn't want her current condition to spread further along her body like it had been for two years whenever she looked at her reflection for too long without. She couldn't let herself become some horrid monster while Bowie was around and she didn't have her mask, which was why she removed as many mirrors as she could from the castle after she brought him there. Her mask protected her whenever she looked at her reflection, and as she stood up and cleaned the table of dirty plates and dishes to take them to the kitchen and clean up, she then stopped by the window and looked at herself before she flinched as she thought she heard a child cry for its mother.  
  
"There's no child here." she said to herself as she shook her head and got herself back on track, "I looked all over the castle many times, every single room, and I found none. It's... probably just the wind, or those damn orphans messing with me again... may need to teach them a lesson again soon. You'd think they'd learn after what I did to the matron of their orphanage..."  
  
With that, Amelia Red walked alone through the halls of her sanctuary, planning what sort of curse she could use on what she thought to be a bunch of troublemakers.

~0~

The sun rose the next morning over the city of Roselark- the capital of the kingdom of Clawthorn, its citizens mostly unaware of things such as Bowie's return, the release of Pietro Aifread from his mirrored prison, or even the fact that there were three people from another world currently traveling across Fanterra.  
  
What did reach the ears of Roselark's people and even the royal family itself, however, were the rumors that some sort of monster had kidnapped Prince Jonathan White, as well as the fact the town of Unicorn's Blade was dealing with a curse based sickness. While those that lived in the city did their best to keep calm, the fact that someone had kidnapped Prince White alone had them feeling uneasy about the future, especially as to them, it would mean war once the kidnappers were identified... unless the prince was returned safely of course. However, the bigger question was who in their right mind would have wanted to kidnap the prince, and some people even hoped that it was all just some misunderstanding.  
  
Of course, for the primary Rose Knight of Clawthorn, Fangstian Leonne of the White Rose stood atop the south-eastern tower of Castle Roselark, the man himself looked over his newly updated list for his inspection route, while also looking at the scarlet bracer on his wrist that was decorated with the image of a white rose. As he was a lion-based bestial elf, his green, cat-like eyes showed his excitement as he gave a fanged smile and purred excitedly at the idea of testing out the newly upgraded flight component of his armor. Sure, it was probably less stylish than the enchanted red cloak that Khrima Thorn, the bearer of the original Rose Knight's armor got that allowed her to fly, but even if it did look like a back ridge of a dragon, at least the upgraded version he got to see was redesigned to not just fit along the curve of his back but also move along with him so he could take full advantage of his cat-like flexibility.  
  
Running a hand through his long, black lion's mane of hair on his head, before slipping on his goggles, the Knight quickly made sure to adjust his black vest he had on over a white shirt, and smooth out a wrinkle he saw forming in his brown leggings, he then gave his black boots a shine with the black tuft of fur at the tip of his tail before clearing his throat to speak.  
  
Unfortunately, before he could say the thing that'd allow his armor to appear on his body, he was interrupted by a woman's voice.  
  
"Leaving without even saying goodbye, Sir Fang?" said Princess Sandra Leodove, the brown haired and blue eyed young woman crossing her arms as the olive-skinned lion man sighed and turned around to face her. While she herself was a Bestial elf like Fang was, because of the fact her ancestor was turned into a lion and then a dove and then becoming a lion again before being taken away by the princess of Draconia 500 years ago in what may be the most convoluted story in Fanterra's history, Sandra herself ended up with feathered white wings of her own like a dove, while her father, King Darren Leodove was another lion like Fang happened to be.  
  
In fact, the dove thing tended to happen once in a while for the royal family, and as far as Fang was concerned, it was all because Residual magic tended to be a lottery when multiple curses were involved on a single person. That, and whoever cursed Sandra's ancestor in the first place must have been REALLY pissed off at the guy for some reason.  
  
"I left a note for you..." Fang said with a sigh, "Also, shouldn't you be with your father in his morning walk through the rose garden, Sandy?"  
  
"He let me skip it this time when I found your note." Sandra said, holding it up and reading it aloud, "Dear Sandra, Please forgive me for not saying goodbye, but I felt that I just had to get going on my inspection as soon as possible, especially with the last minute change of having my first stop be Unicorn's Blade instead of the Stonehill Barony, and I just couldn't waste any time!"  
  
"Do you have to read it like you're imitating my voice?" Fang asked with a groan, "Really princess, you're no mockingbird, so your impression kind of fails..."  
  
"You left me a note while our friend Lady Khrima actually got to say goodbye to you in person," Sandra said with a glare.  
  
"Only because I ran into her on my way up here." Fang said, before looking down at the castle garden to see the blond haired king Darren watering the roses during his walk through it, "Besides, I did want to get started on my inspection, you know?"  
  
"Well, I hope those knights you trained with are all doing well in their stations." Sandra said as she crossed her arms, "Though, I don't see how a cursed based illness could take priority over a power struggle between Baroness Marina Stonehill and her stepmother."  
  
"Well, Pierre Polheffer's hometown is being hit with a curse, and if it's not stopped now, who's to say the rest of Clawthorn won't be next?" Fang said, "To me, the risk that you might become a target in case this incident is a precursor to something worse, takes higher priority than what Sir Chicken Little's got to deal with. Besides, I'm sure everyone's doing alright. I mean, Pierre was second in our class behind me, remember? Though, I am curious as to why it seems Chicken Little's not doing anything about the situation over in Stonehill..."  
  
"Perhaps Sir Kenneth is afraid of the rumors about Marina being a chimaeric were-beast?" Sandra said with a shrug, "I mean, she did disappear from the public eye before she ascended the throne last year, due to some sort of accident, but if the rumors are true..."  
  
"Oh yes, a were-griffin baroness." Fang said, rolling his eyes as he recalled the rumors, "If that were true, she'd been dead a month after she got hit with a curse like that."  
  
"And you still think an illness outweighs the power struggle." Sandra said while Fang nodded.  
  
"Yes, I already explained why I felt Unicorn's Blade was more important at the moment princess since well, my job _is_ to keep you alive when I'm here in Roselark, and Khrima handling that while I do my job outside the city." Fang then said with a bit of an annoyed growl, "Besides, I'm positive that Pierre has things handled... since well, it'd feel like a dick move to tear the guy away from his hometown after he worked his ass off to become a knight and protect it."  
  
"Alright... just... come back safely, ok?" Sandra said with a nod and watched as Fang gave her a thumbs up before he raised the bracer on his arm and spoke.  
  
"Armor on!" he said, and in a flash of light and white rose petals, the brace shone with a light that soon spread across Fang's body, as armor formed in what looked like vines of magic before solidifying into white armor with a few red accents that had roses sculpted on the shoulders and knees, and even extending to the goggles he had on as well. Sure, his armor only consisted of armored greaves, gauntlets, a chest-plate with shoulder pads, armor on his hips and the new flight pack on his back, while his goggles gained some metal accents of a rose on the band but while it seemed like light armor, it was still extremely durable thanks to the Amecite used to create it.  
  
Of course, as he seemed happy as he hovered in the air before her, Sandra soon got the feeling why else he wanted to leave early- to play around a bit with the new flight pack.  
  
"Anyway Princess, try not to worry too much about me." Fang then said as he slipped his goggles over his eyes and gave a smile that actually seemed to sparkle a bit, "If the mages in the lab are right about improving the flight speed of my armor, I'll be back here before you know it!"  
  
"I really hope so." Sandra said as she dismissed the knight and headed back into the castle, and after waiting a moment, the lion then flew off towards Unicorn's blade, slowly at first through the sky, before grinning as he decided to speed things up a bit. Of course, doing a few aerial loops and spins among the clouds was certainly a tempting prospect, but as Sir Fang was a responsible knight, he felt he needed to get to Unicorn's Blade as soon as possible.  
  
Though, as he stopped and looked at the clouds and birds a little above him, he did figure that one or two tricks wouldn't hurt.  
  
_"Screw it, time to have a little fun!"_ he then thought, before zooming upward into the clouds, and while he did get a little wet considering it was all just condensed water droplets, he did enjoy flying through a cloud and leaving a hole behind him inside it before getting an idea as he flew around one cloud and started to shape it in the form of a rose in full bloom before hovering in the air and inspected his work. Satisfied with the cloud sculpture, he then smiled as he zoomed through the sky towards his first stop on the inspection route.  
  
"I LOVE FLYING!" he shouted for all the world to hear as he hooped and hollered in pure joy as he flew through the sky, doing a few loops and drill spins through the sky as he went, and even raced with a flock of birds for fun as he made his way to Unicorn's Blade.  
  
Hell, with how fast he was going, he'd probably make it there in time to have breakfast with Pierre and his family!

~0~

In the town of Thornsborough, Jotaro, Joseph, Pietro, Irene, Alphonse and Carmen Wood were in the shapeshifter's living room, the more humanoid members of the group eating bacon, eggs, and toast that Carmen herself cooked, while Alphonse ate some ground up meat that Carmen had prepared for the alphyn.  
  
As the night before had been stressful for everyone, when Joseph and Pietro returned to the shop through the mirror, Joseph was honestly surprised by Jotaro having actually cried while he was fighting, and having no way to get to Joseph the whole time, though when the brunette offered his teenage grandson a hug, Jotaro immediately punched him instead, and chewed him out for almost dying. Again. Of course, as it was late and everyone was tired, they didn't have much time to chat and decided to wait until morning, before discussing the next item on the agenda- what to do next.  
  
It wasn't long until they came to a decision.  
  
"So, we're going to go kick Tyler's ass, right?" Jotaro asked between bites, while somehow managing to bring some salt and pepper to the table when Carmen forgot it in the kitchen.  
  
"Well, that should be the plan," Carmen said, doing her best to hide how uncomfortable Jotaro's trick made her as she ate her breakfast, "considering that damn mage deserves it and all."  
  
"Yeah, and now that you're not cursed anymore Jotaro, I don't think we should have too much of a problem making sure he gets what's coming to him!" Joseph said with a rather evil looking grin- though, in all honesty, the idea of beating the crap out of the doppelganger of the guy who held his brain hostage on the way to Egypt was also a very tempting prospect.  
  
"Not to mention that we'll be punishing him for all the vile things he pulled before now as well!" Irene said, before looking at Pietro and noticed his brow was furrowed in thought as he ate. "Pietro, is something wrong?"  
  
"Hm?" the stag then said as he looked up and soon noticed that everyone at the table was staring at him, "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about what Tyler mumbled yesterday, before cursing Jotaro."  
  
"You mean what Tyler said about Jotaro's father?" Irene said, while Carmen raised an eyebrow before she looked towards the teen, and also noticed that he seemed to be clutching his fork a little too tightly as his knuckles turned white, while his face seemed as unreadable as he usually tried to have it.  
  
"While that is what he _claimed_ to have mumbled, it wasn't what he actually said." Pietro said while pointing to his long, pointed ears for a moment before he summoned a few mirrors in front of everyone at the table, and showed the moment before Jotaro had lifted the mage up and also played back what the stag had heard at the time.  
  
_" _Damn, it's kicking in again. Just a kid, and he thinks he's been through hell? He hasn't been through **crap** compared to me."  
__  
The mirror then played back the rest of that moment, with Jotaro asking Tyler what he had said, only to be fed the line regarding the teen's father, before Jotaro pummeled Tyler to a pulp. Once the memory showed the man just lying there on the ground though, Pietro stopped the playback. As Pietro then saw the rest of the group showing looks of concern and confusion regarding what Tyler actually said, and why he lied about it, he then decided to voice his own theory on the matter.  
  
"I believe, that despite his... character..." he said, doing his best to remain polite as possible as he spoke of the man and still remain truthful- or else risk a penalty for even attempting to lie, which was something he hoped wouldn't happen while around his companions, "Tyler Williamson may have had a reason for provoking Jotaro, and that reason may have to do with whatever was 'kicking in again' as he put it."  
  
"Well, even if he did, I don't think that reason applies to what he did to me before I was engaged," Irene said, "or the other things he did as well, either to other women or even to other people he may have cursed."  
  
"It's possible it does Irene." Pietro said, "Though, whatever it was, I think whatever lot in life he'd been put through might also explain why he seemed more annoyed after Jotaro had pummeled him to death."  
  
"Wait, what?" Joseph said as he immediately noticed something wasn't right, "Pietro, you said you couldn't lie, right? So, if Jotaro actually killed Tyler, then he couldn't have gotten up again, or even cursed my grandson in the first place. However, since he did, then you just contradicted what we saw as Tyler was only nearly dead afterward!"  
  
"When Jotaro pummeled Tyler," Pietro said after grimly shaking his head in response to Joseph's accusation about him lying, "I not only heard the mage's neck snap but also heard his heart stop completely for a full minute, before he gasped and sat back up- which led to the assumption that he was only nearly dead. I know what I heard, and as I really can't lie... well, the truth does sometimes sound unbelievable."  
  
"How can anyone get back up from a snapped neck?" Irene asked, looking a bit horrified, while Jotaro and Joseph merely exchanged slightly annoyed looks towards each other. "I mean, that... that shouldn't be possible, even with magic."  
  
"Ugh, I swear, if Tyler's fucking immortal, I'm going to find a way to kill him anyway." Carmen said in annoyance, while Jotaro actually smirked at the thought- very slightly, but it still happened.  
  
"Believe us, ladies," Joseph said with a groan, "We've seen a guy back in our world who's head stuck itself on my grandfather's body, and I've come back from death thanks to Jotaro as well."  
  
"How did you come back to life?" Irene and Carmen both asked while Jotaro decided to give the brief version.  
  
"Restarted his heart with my stand, while also giving Joseph his blood back." Jotaro said, which caused Pietro to let out a creak from his throat as he suddenly had a thought- judging by how he crossed his arms and seemed to be focusing on something anyway.  
  
"A man coming back from death, that _does_ sound familiar now that I think about it..." Pietro said, while Joseph smirked and decided to tease the stag.  
  
"Wow, forgetting things, Pietro? I mean yeah, you're 200 years old, but we all go senile sooner or later." the brunette said with a grin, while Pietro simply chuckled a bit and shook his head.  
  
"I'm 220, actually, but I still remember everything that has happened in my life." Pietro said, "In fact, I now recall a tale I heard before getting stuck in a mirror, about how a man was beheaded for a crime he didn't commit but was revived soon afterward when the truth came to life. I highly doubt that Tyler is the same man though, since I'm positive no one could live for 250 years at present, and still look the same as before- er, _without_ being trapped in a mirror or turned to stone of course."  
  
"Well, now that I think about it, when Tyler wasn't flirting around with women and taking them to his home, he was always a bit of an oddball..." Irene then said, "I mean, normally a mage has only one familiar, but Tyler managed to somehow gain five."  
  
"What sort of familiars?" Pietro then asked, perking up at Irene's comment.  
  
"Well, he had a lion, a bear, a fox, a wolf and a rabbit." Irene said while Carmen nodded in confirmation. "Though, whenever they were around with or without their master... something always felt _off_ about them to me, and I don't mean in the same way an animal that used to be human seemed off."  
  
That seemed to spark something in Pietro's eyes, as the mirrors he had in front of the rest of the group suddenly showed a series of images from the stag's memories at rather high speed, before it suddenly stopped on the image of a tavern with a man in green in the corner, surrounded by those exact animals Irene had listed, before the memory began to play out.

**********

Pietro Aifread had only left his home a month ago, the then 18-year-old stag catching his breath at the roadside tavern after running from a raven-haired elf that had a clear intent on killing him. Of course, as the young heir of Deerbank looked around as he tried to find a place to sit- only for the patrons to glare at him and keep him from finding a good table.  
  
It also didn't help that the patrons of the place were already talking about him as well- and judging by the gossip he caught with his hearing, he wasn't exactly well liked.  
  
_"Oh look, it's the son of Tristan Aifread, the man who let his domain get shrunken down and hidden away by a mage!"  
  
"Yeah, and he looks like a complete weakling too, unlike his father. Even despite that incident, at least Tristan doesn't flee from a fight! His Grace must be so ashamed of a pacifist son!"  
  
"I bet once he gets the Duchy, the buck'll end up losing it to the first invader he faces!"  
  
"No kidding! Not to mention, his father probably made him travel to toughen him up!"  
  
"He probably won't last too long out there, before running home and crying for his late mother!"  
  
"Well, if his family's strange luck kicks in, he'll most likely bring more trouble for everyone else than he does himself! Bad luck, the Aifreads are!"  
_  
As the gossip continued while Pietro was turned away from various places to sit in the tavern repeatedly, the stag's shoulders and confidence sank as he found himself driven into a literal corner, where a hunter with short, wavy black hair that was slightly messy despite cropped and combed rather cleanly. The stranger also had maroon eyes that seemed to give Pietro a feeling of foreboding and was dressed in green hunting garb consisting of a green shirt under a brown tunic that seemed to have a loincloth-like extension, a pair of leather pants and black boots. Though, Pietro also noticed the man had a scar going all the way around his neck and more importantly, the five beasts sitting with the hunter- a lion, a wolf, a fox and a bear around him, while a brown rabbit sat in his lap. Of course, as Pietro locked eyes with the hunter, and his discomfort grew as he looked at the predators sitting with the man, the stag also remembered the rejections he had since he entered the place and so sighed and turned around.  
  
"I'll... leave you be, sir." Pietro said as he started to move, only to stop when the man spoke up.  
  
"Hey, go ahead and sit here with me, kid." the man said, causing Pietro to look surprised. "Yeah, I heard you were nobility, but eh... you're still new to the road, while everybody here are nothing more than just a bunch of pricks. 'Sides, you kind of remind me of myself at your age... 18, right?"  
  
"Y-Yes, that's right." Pietro said, before sitting down and setting his bag aside, "I'm traveling to study botany abroad, actually."  
  
"So, plants and such, right?" the huntsman said while Pietro simply nodded before a waitress came along to take their order, and only continued the conversation once she left to get the man himself an ale, while the beasts and Pietro all got water. "I gotta admit, that's probably a good thing to look into. I mean, there's no telling what kinds of plants are out there that could help people, right?"  
  
"R-Right." Pietro said with a small smile, "Not to mention the beauty that can be found in those plants are something I admire myself."  
  
"Oh? I can understand if you're talking about a bunch of flowers, but eh, I don't see the beauty of something like... a weed or a briar."  
  
Pietro said nothing at that, as he had instead decided to pull out a journal and opening it up to the 74th page, where he had a sketch he'd made of a series of thorns wrapped around an old bust he found in the garden of his home back in Deerbank. Of course, while the sketch was extremely lifelike thanks to Pietro's memory combined with his inability to lie making his artwork take on an incredible level of detail, the way the huntsman simply raised an eyebrow as he examined it made Pietro feel rather nervous about what the man thought about it.  
  
"Huh, you certainly got an eye for aesthetics." he said, before looking up at the stag, "You're... not into men, are you?"  
  
"Pardon?" Pietro asked, clearly confused as the huntsman groaned.  
  
"Nevermind kid, you'll find out sooner or later." he then said before leaning back a bit in his seat, "So, judging by the rip in your pants leg, I assume you got into trouble?"  
  
"Erm.. yes." Pietro then replied, while having sworn the fox snickered a bit, "An elf named Gaston and his hunting party crossed paths with me while I was fleeing from a very large boar. And while I ran, I didn't even notice I was hit, until... well, you pointed out the tear just now. I'm glad Uncle Jack taught me how to use a needle and thread though, he'd not be happy if I went to another tailor for repairs."  
  
"Yeah, I heard about your family, though I didn't think a warrior like Cassandra Aifread would fall for a tailor of all people." the huntsman then said with a smirk, "But... are what the assholes in here saying about Duke Tristan possibly being ashamed of your pacifism, true?"  
  
"Of course not." Pietro said, "I admit, I don't know my way around the world outside of Deerbank, and that my aunt does hope my travels will toughen me up as they assumed my father wanted, but just because I'm a pacifist, doesn't mean I must be a coward. Not to mention that violence can't solve everything... then again, there really isn't a single solution for every problem in the world, is there?"  
  
"Kid, you've got a weird way of looking at things, but... eh, it's pretty refreshing, to be honest." the huntsman said, "Heard the rumor about your mother having an Oberon bless you with the ability to only speak the truth, so I assume everyone in Deerbank must love you, huh?"  
  
"Not everyone, no." Pietro said with a sigh as his pointed ears actually drooped while the waitress returned with their drinks, "Thank you, miss. Anyway, my inability to lie may have given me a perfect memory- for better or worse, but there's also a... penalty if I even attempt to lie."  
  
"Didn't think a fae blessing could have a penalty to it." the Huntsman said, rather surprised.  
  
"Maybe not all of them, but I do know that mine does." Pietro groaned, "If I attempt to lie, my ability to speak is painfully removed for a full day, and all I'll be able to do is just make noises like a deer until my voice returns. Also with a large amount of pain. What's worse, is if I attempt to tell a lie again afterward, the time I'm without the gift of speech is extended by one day for each attempted lie."  
  
"Damn." The huntsman said after a moment of speechlessness, "How did you find that nasty detail out?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." Pietro said, "But back to the previous subject of how my gift doesn't mean everyone loves me. Not everyone is willing to hear the truth, and seem to think because I cannot lie, that I must know everything when really... I can only tell the truth based on my personal knowledge and if I don't know something, I just... don't know it. Not to mention I've been bullied as a child by a rather vile minded floral fae by the name of Peri Winks."  
  
"Honestly, a faerie bully probably isn't so bad compared to other people." the huntsman then said as he sipped his ale, "You know something kid? You're pretty lucky to not have a traitor of a twin brother, who'd kill you if he thought you slept with his wife and then brings you back when he learns that yeah, you shared her bed with her, but only because she insisted and you kept her from committing adultery by placing a sword between you and her. And all this _after_ you save his life! How's that gratitude for you?"  
  
"That... is a very specific example." Pietro said a bit awkwardly, "Did... that happen to you?"  
  
"No." the huntsman then said, "Just a story I heard once. Happened about fifty years ago now, I think."  
  
"Oh." Pietro said, before finishing his drink and digging into his pocket to pull out his money. "Um, thank you for the company sir, but I'll be happy to pay for the drinks in return before I go. I owe you that much I think."  
  
"Fine, but before you go, I sometimes do a bit of fortune telling when I'm not out in the wilderness." the huntsman said, "Mind if I tell yours?"  
  
"If you'd like to." Pietro said, before tilting his head slightly in confusion "How exactly would you do it?"  
  
"Here, let me see your hand." the huntsman said, and as the stag obliged, the stranger then hummed to himself as he traced the lines in Pietro's hand. "Hmm... I'll say this, you're going to have an interesting, but sad life for a while. But, on the bright side, it will get better, as long as you don't give up hope, and keep on living."  
  
"Well, it's good to know I'll have a happy ending, eventually." Pietro said with a smile as he got up to head to the bar and pay the tavern keeper for himself, the huntsman and his entourage of animals. "Thank you."  
  
"No prob kid." the huntsman said, "Oh, and if you ever head to Gem Hill? I advise not sticking there long. I heard that the new queen of Miravel, Hildegarde, is a crazy witch. So... be careful, alright?"  
  
"I'll do my best to." Pietro said with a smile and a nod, "I hope we meet again, sir. May you have safe travels in your future."  
  
"Safe travels, kid." The huntsman said, and waved farewell to the 18-year-old stag, before returning to his drink.

**********

Once the memory finished playing, the room was silent as Pietro saw that everyone else in the room had a serious look on their face, while Alphonse the alphyn simply yawned and rolled over on his side after eating his breakfast. The stag could see that everyone seemed to be thinking about something they noticed in the memory, especially as he himself realized that if the huntsman was Tyler all along, then the man seemed to have possibly attempted to prevent Pietro from becoming Hildegarde's slave when she turned him into a mirror. He wasn't sure why the man had tried to do that if it really was him, but if they were one and the same, then not only was Tyler Williamson somehow immortal but the time that had passed since that meeting had definitely changed him as well.  
  
"Those are the exact same animals Tyler had back in Spherean." Irene then said to break the silence. "I mean, if over two hundred years those animals managed to have descendants that looked exactly like them, that's one thing but... I don't think that's the case here."  
  
"Yeah." Joseph said with a frown, "He may look different now than he did back then, but he does act a bit similar to the present, and definitely has the same voice. If it's not a descendant of his that managed to look exactly like him Pietro, do you think it's possible that magic was involved with your previous meeting?"  
  
"It might but... I don't think there's a way for anyone to become immortal without being turned into a fae, and Tyler definitely didn't seem like a faerie either then or in the present. Not to mention besides a Shapeshifter's kiss of life the only other thing I know of that could revive the dead, the Snake Leaf, is extinct. And even then, neither of them could make a person eternally young, it simply revives the body to a more livable condition before they died, and can only work when the body is mostly intact as well as very recently deceased- nor can either of them reverse the aging process." Pietro said, causing Jotaro to speak up next.  
  
"Why did the Snake Leaf go extinct? Did people try using it too much to revive the dead?"  
  
"No, nothing like that." Pietro said, "More like the one who discovered the plants properties ordered the plant to be destroyed when he learned those revived by it tend to become more of a dark mirror of themselves- according to legend, this discovery was made when after his late wife was revived, cheated on him and also had her lover murder him. He too was revived by the snake leaf, and by sheer luck only came back mostly as he was before, but in the end... he didn't want to see the plant used ever again. In fact, some people believe that while the man was dead, the Knight of Death himself, Seth Thanatos, asked him to destroy the Snake Leaf, before the plant could bring a horrible fate to the world."  
  
"The... Knight of Death?" both Jotaro and Joseph asked, looking confused as Carmen let out a groan.  
  
"Seth Thanatos is the name of the guy in charge of leading the dead to the afterlife, reaping them when their time comes, checking their soul's report cards for their deeds to help see whether they go to Hell or not, and also make sure the souls of the dead have no lingering debts to repay." the shapeshifter then explained, "According to the old legends, Seth was once a doctor and godson of the previous Death, before eventually taking over for his godfather when he retired. As a result, Seth Thanatos became immortal and continued helping people on the verge of death pass on in comfort rather than fear. Hell, sometimes he works with the living if there's something he needs help with, and from what I experienced myself back as Koriander... the guy's actually rather polite, friendly, and also attractive- probably to help people pass on without fear. But eh, he's not my type."  
  
"That... is not what I expect to hear when it came to Death." Joseph said while Jotaro remained silent.  
  
"Whatever." Carmen said with a shrug, "In any event, whatever Tyler's secret is, we'll beat it out of him after we come up with a plan that'll give us the perfect payback."  
  
No one said a thing as they thought about ideas, Pietro removing the mirrors he summoned with a wave of his hand as he finished off his own breakfast. Of course, as Jotaro and Joseph both looked at the badges they wore after becoming knights of Miravel, the brunette grinned as he got an idea.  
  
"Say, just how willing will the locals be to let a pair of 'Knights' investigate Tyler's home?" Joseph then said.  
  
"Since it seems that Tyler is originally from Spherean- until we have more information from him if he really is immortal, I'm afraid he counts as a foreigner." Pietro said, "Not to mention that since abusing your rank may cause unneeded trouble for Miravel considering the circumstances if word of you two singling out a Spherean Mage gets back to that kingdom. King Diomarlon does not need a war on his hands while his son is missing."  
  
"Right." Jotaro then said, "That'd just make our job that much harder."  
  
"Damn." Joseph said as he let out a sigh before he remembered something from the day before and grinned again as he got a new idea. "Hey, Tyler has a crush on Carmen... right?"  
  
As both Carmen and Jotaro didn't like the look on Joseph's face, both of them prepared to hit the man, as he signaled everyone to huddle closer as he revealed his plan.  
  
A few minutes later, Joseph was grumbling as Irene healed him of a pair of black eyes he earned after revealing his new plan was to have Carmen and Jotaro pose as a couple, to try and get Tyler to panic and try and break them up before the rest of the group swooped in to capture them. As the pair ended up punching the man at the same time after giving a very clear veto of the plan, Jotaro was simply glaring at his grandfather, before Carmen got up and started heading downstairs.  
  
"Wait, Carmen? Where are you going?" Irene asked as she finished up the quick heal for Joseph, before heading after her friend as the rest of Team Jojo followed the blonde.  
  
"I'm going to my room, and grab a few things." Carmen said with a slight growl as she walked to her room on the ground floor, "After that, I'm going to just go straight to that damn mage's place and kick his ass because I am **_not_** going to pretend to be some kid's sweetheart just to get to him. Fuck making a plan, we're getting this done **_now."  
_**  
As she spoke of course, she also walked into her rather bare looking bedroom, and opened up the wardrobe next to her bed, and pulled out some bracers she slipped on under her dress, before slamming the door as she prepared to put on a plain, black leather breast guard and hide it under her plain green dress. Once that was done and the door opened up again, she then pulled out a longsword that had what looked like a cat-eared human skull on the pommel, before lifting up her skirt enough to show her leg, and used her body to actually absorb the blade into the limb- most likely shifting her body just enough to hide the blade comfortably in her leg until she needed it. After that was done, she then went to her bed and pulled out a box from under it, before opening it up and showing all sorts of trinkets along with an orange, blood stained cape that were most likely souvenirs from Carmen's days as the slayer, and began going through it.  
  
Finally, she pulled out a pin that looked like a gold dolphin and stood up before she held it out to Jotaro once she left her room and shut the door behind her.  
  
"Here." she said, while Jotaro simply raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What's this for?" he said, while admiring the design while Carmen rolled her eyes and explained.  
  
"It's something to make sure you don't get cursed again, Sir Dumbass." she said, "Now will you just take it already?"  
  
"Fine..." Jotaro said, letting the insult slide for now as he took the golden dolphin and pinned it to the collar of his coat, next to the two pins he had on to show what year he was in back at his highschool. "But I still have that piece of Pietro's antler as well."  
  
"And you _still_ got cursed despite that." Carmen pointed out while she went to her work table and slipped on her leather apron before she started stuffing the pockets with small bottles of different powders, liquids and who knew what else, "And that curse didn't get removed until you touched it."  
  
"Right. Thanks." Jotaro said with a grumble, though he did appreciate the thought- even if he didn't show it on the face. Of course, it was also the fact that dolphins happened to be his favorite animal that kept her from being punched by the teen for now and personally wondered if he'd be allowed to keep it for himself even if it didn't work.  
  
"So uh... you got any more of those?" Joseph then asked in regards to the anti-curse pin Jotaro gained.  
  
"Nope, just the dolphin. Those things are incredibly expensive. Besides, you still have Pietro, and even if Tyler tries to curse you or Irene while I'm around, he won't like what will happen to him." Carmen said while heading towards the shop proper as the rest of the group followed her- after Irene grabbed her sword and gems as well as woken up Alphonse from his nap of course.  
  
"Erm, Carmen," Pietro then said, "what exactly are in those bottles?"  
  
"They're just a new product I want to test." Carmen answered, and frightened both the stag and Joseph as she gained a psychotic look in her eye. Followed by the quiet, evil laugh that she gave as she left her shop, it seemed that Carmen was on the warpath as she made her way to Tyler's home, the locals up and about in Thornsborough quickly moving out of the shapeshifting apothecary's way. In fact, as Irene simply shook her head and chuckled like this was normal for Carmen back when she was still the slayer, all Jotaro could do was wonder what was waiting for them, once Tyler's home came into view- all while the shapeshifter leading the charge seemed to exude a menacing aura as she walked, as if Tyler's final death was to be by her hand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the Kamen Rider OOO song, "Sun Goes Up."
> 
> The only new Jojo's Bizarre Alternate that appears this chapter is King Darren Leodove, for Dire from waaaay back in Phantom Blood. Yes, Dire's alternate is part lion. 
> 
> Now, in this chapter it seems that Bowie is becoming self-aware and is questioning himself on a plot hole I noticed while writing this chapter. Namely, the fact that back in the prologue, he didn't know who the story keeper was, before namedropping her when he interrogated Jonathan later in the story. So, I decided to take advantage of this for a little character development.
> 
> Also, it seems that Amelia is also having a few issues... I wonder what they could be?
> 
> And yes, the info given in the villains' part of the chapter does reference the Japanese Fairy Tale Momotaro, in regards to well, the Peach Knight. And the Fae Knight may or may not be inspired by Kamen Rider with the belt thing.
> 
> Next, we meet Pierre Polheffer's superior, Sir Fang. And for those wondering, the story of the Kingdom of Clawthorn's royal family is the fairy tale- The Singing Soaring Lark, one of my all time favorites. While convoluted as hell, it's still an entertaining read, and I also decided to use it to explain WHY Draconia fell thanks to Sara Drake. 
> 
> Finally, we have Team Jojo's part of the chapter, with breakfast, revelations, and implications about Tyler Williamson that Jospeh and Jotaro aren't too fond of. 
> 
> And I think with the flashback, I've started really making Steely Dan's alternate more sympathetic than well, the canon douchebag himself. 
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- We finally check in on Unicorn's Blade after a few chapters of nothing, and Team Jojo invades Tyler's Tower! What could possibly go wrong?


	19. It's Knight-Time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fang and Pierre discuss the case, and the first steps are taken to removing the curse on Unicorn's Blade....

_Knock! Knock! Knock!  
_  
That was the sound Pierre Polheffer heard just after he attached his clockwork legs and pulled on some pants. He did know that Marik and Renee would be coming by to drop off the potion that would counter the curse caused by the insane mage Netanel, yet when he considered the current time of day...  
  
"Renee and Marik are awfully early... I wonder if something happened?" he said to himself as he pulled a long-sleeved shirt on while he walked to the door of his attic bedroom- mainly to hide the bracelet on his wrist if his family were there. While he did know he had only two more days to hide his engagement to Renee Zavriel, he still didn't want to risk his sister becoming ill thanks to Marik's curse upon the knight just because they found out. In fact, he partly expected his little sister to be at the door when he heard more knocking, or at least his mother since it didn't sound like his father was banging at the door.  
  
He did not expect, however, to open the door and see the olive skinned and raven haired Fangstian Leonne.  
  
"Hi, Sir Silver Legs!" Fang said with his sparkling smile as he greeted his old classmate with his old nickname from the Academy, while Pierre's jaw dropped in surprise.  
  
"S-Sir Leonne! You're here much earlier than expected!" the stunned, silver-haired knight then said as he saluted his former classmate and present superior in Clawthorn's ranks. "I thought you'd be arriving the day after tomorrow! What brings you to town so early?"  
  
"At ease Pierre," Fang said before he pulled a notebook out of a bag he had at his side, "I heard about the situation here in your hometown, and since I'd be coming here anyway for inspection... I figured it'd be a good idea to come here first and see how you were handling things, and well, take care of the inspection while I'm here. So, want to fill me in on our way downstairs?"  
  
"Ouija, Fangstian," Pierre said with a nod, before noting that the White Rose Knight was out of armor and in more casual clothes. Though, since Fang's bracer was in plain sight, Pierre did admit to himself he was jealous of the fact his friend's armor was extremely easy to slip on and off thanks to its magic. However, instead of comment on his own desire to have magical armor that he could take on and off with a command, he instead answered Fang's question.  
  
"The situation here in Unicorn's Blade involves a curse being cast on random girls, causing them to become bedridden while a mark appeared on their shoulders resembling what happens when a person is stung. This has been happening for a few days."  
  
"So, one of the Zavriels with a stinger is causing this?" Fang asked, only for Pierre to shake his head.  
  
"No." Pierre then said stopping and leaning against the wall as he and Fang continued to chat on the stairs, "The marks are all in the exact same spot. If it was a Zavriel, such precision would be impossible, as there wasn't even the tiniest bit of variation."  
  
"So, a frame job." Fang said, writing the information down, "Any idea who or why?"  
  
"I do have a suspect in mind, yes, and he has a very good motive as well." Pierre said, "However, I cannot arrest them yet, due to not being able to locate them, and will need a way to lure them out. Marik Zavriel and his sister Renee will also be coming by later this morning to lend their aid in destroying the curse. After that, we'll be attempting to figure out a way to lure the suspect out into the open for capture."  
  
"Hmm... it only took you this long to get a counter?" Fang asked while Pierre sighed.  
  
"The curse has a toad sit on a nest of hair from the victims, the potion to counter the curse needed time to be brewed, and the Zavriel family are the only ones close enough to town to make it, as it was a fae curse originally." the silver-haired knight then said, his pale blue eyes looking a little tired as well.  
  
"I see." Fang said, "So, the suspect somehow learned a fae curse- probably by force, to make it seem like one of the Zavriels do it. I'd ask who this suspect was and why they're doing this... but that can wait till after breakfast! I'm starving!"  
  
"Fair enough," Pierre said as smiled at his friend as he watched the lion put his notebook away before Fang hugged him and gave a happy sounding growl.  
  
"Good to see you again, Sir Silver Legs." Fang then said, "You're family doing alright?"  
  
"They are. Mother's shop is doing well, while father helps her out with the heavy lifting when new stock arrives- if only to have something to do while he's no longer an active knight." Pierre said as he and Fang resumed walking, "And Sherry completed her newest construct Little Coco a couple of months ago."  
  
"The tortoise, right?" Fang said as Pierre nodded to confirm, "I saw the thing when I got here, since your sister answered the front door and all, and let me tell you, that machine is anything _but_ little!"  
  
"Well, Coco was meant to be a mobile tool box for Sherry to have on hand." Pierre then said, "So, a large size was best."  
  
"Huh, that does make sense," Fang said as he crossed his arms, before looking to Pierre and noticing the man's shirt. "Hey, you're wearing a longer sleeved shirt than you usually do... something wrong?"  
  
Despite Pierre's calm expression at the question, he was mentally panicking as he remembered that if Fang found out about him and Renee, his sister would end up falling ill thanks to Marik. While he still had a couple of days, he also didn't want to risk his friend learning the truth from him, and as a result, he did the one thing he thought he'd never have to do around his friends.  
  
"Well, even if Spring is just a couple of weeks away," Pierre then lied as he adjusted his sleeves a bit, "It' still a bit chilly. Not to mention that Unicorn's Blade is still chillier than Roselark this time of year, so what's wrong with trying to keep warm after a rainy evening?"  
  
"Oh right, that. Forgot about how random the weather can get sometimes." Fang said with a smile as he seemed to buy the story just as they arrived at the kitchen, where Silchariot was busy finishing up breakfast while the rest of the Polheffer family were seated at the table waiting for Pierre.  
  
"Morning Pierre!" the silver-haired knight's mother then said with a warm smile, while Hans Polheffer simply read a book at the table while he waited for breakfast to be ready. As for Sherry, she was looking rather eager to see Fang, and as Pierre noticed as he sat down, he couldn't help but wonder if she was crushing on his friend. If she was, then he'd have to break it to her that Fang wouldn't be able to return her feelings due to an oath the lion swore to not pursue Pierre's sister under any circumstance. Mainly out of fear of what would happen to Fangstian if things didn't work out between him and Sherry.  
  
Especially since a Polheffer was extremely protective of their family and as Fang himself knew, if anyone even considered the idea of doing anything unseemly to Pierre's sister, the man would make damn sure they'd reconsider it as soon as possible.  
  
During breakfast though, while everyone was eating and chatting, Fang then noticed that Pierre's mind seemed to be elsewhere, and more importantly, Sherry's worried expression while the lion chatted politely with their father about his days as a knight. Of course, as Fang was also doing his best not to comment on Hans's body being more machine than flesh and blood to avoid offending the man, the chance to change the subject was very much welcome as he decided to get Pierre's attention.  
  
As Pierre felt Fang poke his shoulder with his tail- especially since the lion knew kicking him under the table would be a bad idea from personal experience, the knight flinched a bit before looking at his superior.  
  
"Yes?" Pierre then asked while Fang merely pointed to the man's still full plate.  
  
"You alright? You've barely touched your food."  
  
"Just worried about the case, I guess." Pierre said with a sigh as he took a bite out of his pancakes before continuing, "There's no real pattern to the victims besides the fact they're all women, and I'm scared my sister might be next if I don't catch the man responsible."  
  
The table fell silent then, as even Silchariot looked concerned about that possibility of Sherry falling ill next before Fang spoke up with a slight purr.  
  
"Oh? And what makes you think a man is responsible?"  
  
"Because this started after I stopped a suspicious mage from attacking Renee Zavriel before she... got ready to bathe." Pierre said before he added quite bluntly, "She was still clothed when it happened, and I was there by sheer coincidence- so don't get any ideas, _Fangstian."_  
  
"Damn, you used my first name in full... you must be serious." Fang said with a sigh, "And I won't, don't worry."  
  
"Thank you." Pierre said, "I believe this mage is doing this to the village as payback for stopping him, and also may be trying to keep me busy in an attempt to get at Renee again."  
  
"I see..." Fang then said as he entered business mode- much to the annoyance of Mrs. Polheffer as she honestly hated it when Hans talked work at the table. "So, any other unusual folks in town? Just in case this mage isn't working alone."  
  
"Well, Ricky Lupo, his bodyguard Wandorian and two companions are in town," Pierre said while Fang actually choked a bit on his food, "However, one of the girls- a silver-haired woman with a scarf, became a victim of the curse. And I doubt they or the Usaginaban woman with them are working with the culprit and may have just been passing through at the wrong time."  
  
"Wait, did you just say _Ricky Lupo?"_ Fang then asked, and once Pierre nodded in confirmation, let out a groan. "Oh sweet Andersen, as if my job wasn't hard enough already with Inspection... Just what is the new Big Bad Wolf of Ringaia doing here in Clawthorn?"  
  
While Pierre didn't have an answer, he said nothing at first due to the fact that he wasn't sure if he should ask if Fang's problem with Ricky was due to the fact they were a lion and wolf respectively. Especially since he noticed Fang actually look uneasy at the thought of having to possibly interact with Ricky Lupo himself.  
  
Thankfully though, a way to change the subject came up as Pierre noticed his sister pull something out and examine a badge that looked sort of like a mustache with a pair of gears and a crystal decorating it.  
  
"Sherry, did you really have to pull that out now?" Pierre asked with a sigh, while Fang simply looked curious about it as he spoke next.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's a gift I got from King Jumping Jack Flash the First and Only of Golemia... when he was passing through town after my big brother had gotten fitted with his first pair of prosthetic legs," Sherry said. However, as Fang heard this, he then hummed a bit in thought as he recalled what he knew about the clockwork king of Golemia, before gulping as he started to get an idea what that badge was.  
  
"Can I see that for a moment?" Fang then asked, and once Sherry passed it to the lion across the table, he then lowered his goggles over his eyes and prepared to examine the mustache styled badge.  
  
 _"Detasyr,"_ he mumbled under his breath and after a moment he could see through the amecite lenses of his goggles a silver aura of magic much like the one that surrounded his bracer when he used the detection spell. Combined with the fact that the crystal on the badge was a tiny shard of Amecite, the White Rose Knight soon realized what this badge really was and released a surprised growl.  
  
"Sherry, did you know you were one of Golemia's Clockwork Knights for over a decade?" Fang then asked, before looking around the table to see that everyone was looking at the lion as if he was crazy- including Silchariot, who was getting ready to throw Fang out of the house if he didn't explain soon. "Okay, I'm guessing you didn't. Well, from what I've heard, Golemia 's got multiple Clockwork Knights, and the King likes to randomly knight people by detaching his stache and giving it to them as a badge- usually children for some reason or another, and those kids start their actual training for active duty at age sixteen... unless there's an emergency. Though, I'm going to need you to tell me just what happened when he gave this to you."  
  
"It was a couple of years after the accident that cost my big brother his legs, and dad... well, most of his body..." Sherry began, before telling the story as she recalled it.

**********

Four-year-old Sherry Polheffer was doing her best to keep her smile going as she and Silchariot walked to the town park, her father busy getting used to his new, partly mechanized body, while her mother just tried to keep both Hans and Sherry's brother Pierre were both optimistic for the future. Of course, as Pierre had become miserable ever since the accident, and how he refused to use a new clockwork pair of legs as he remained in bed, their mother had her work cut out for her. In fact, Natasha Vojtech-Polheffer didn't really know what made her son so adamant on not using his new legs and had been worried about her son while doing her best to take care of not just her husband as he recovered, but also her son. While the woman had help from her brother Voltan Vojtech and their other creation Dr. Vitaliskaya while the two were in the area, she wasn't in a position to spend much time with her little girl today, especially as she was tired from all the work she'd done for the past week.  
  
Sherry, however, knew full well that her mother was just doing her best under the circumstances, and the little girl also knew why her brother seemed so listless the past couple of years, but wasn't sure how to say it to her family after overhearing him one day.  
  
 _"It's my fault... my fault I lost my legs and father nearly died... and... I may as well give up on becoming a knight...."  
_  
Hearing her brother give up on his dream, had hurt Sherry quite a bit as she knew how much her brother wanted to be a knight, and even remembered how often he'd talk about it with excitement before the accident had happened. In fact, she wasn't sure how to cheer him up either, or if anything, help her family out until things were better again. How could she when she was only four years old, anyway?  
  
It was when Silchariot managed to gently squeeze her little hand as they walked, that she was drawn out of her thoughts and looked up at the clockwork warrior in confusion.  
  
"What's wrong Char?" she asked, the little girl unable to say the golem's full name, and so settled for Char. Of course, as Silchariot had then pointed up ahead, the girl blinked and followed the finger to see they arrived at the park, and it seemed empty as little Sherry wondered where everyone was since she thought there'd at least be someone around for her to play with while Char watched over the girl. Of course, as she realized that she might have a chance to no longer hide her true feelings, she decided to at least try and distract her babysitter with a request.  
  
"Um... Char?" she then said, getting the golem's attention, "I know mommy gave you some money but... can you get me a unicorn roll from the bakery please?"  
  
As Char's eyes narrowed as if to silently ask her if she'd stay put, the girl quickly added, "I-I promise I won't wander off! R-Really!"  
  
With that, Char nodded and picked the girl up and placed her down on a swing set, before giving the child a hug and heading off to get her request taken care of. Once she was alone, however, the little girl finally started crying as she was no longer able to keep up her forced smile for the world to see. Of course, as she wept and sobbed, she didn't notice that someone had seen her cry, and out of concern, walked over to her. At least... not until they spoke up anyway.  
  
"Are you alright, little girl?"  
  
Sherry sniffed as she opened her eyes and saw a pair of brass feet that seemed to have what was to her at the time, a funny looking device attached to the legs that seemed to include gears, brackets, and a pair of giant springs for some reason. As the girl then looked up at the figure's face, she saw the stranger was a clockwork man designed to look like nobility- a golden, thorny crown on his head while dark metal plates were styled to look like a short haircut that parted to the side. The man's face was sculpted to look kind and gentle with a square jaw and what looked like a pair of square glasses, though Sherry could see that the mechanical man's face was also able to emote as he showed concern in his glowing, blue crystal eyes, and she also saw he had a small, handlebar mustache under his nose that was decorated with small gears and a little purple crystal in the center. As for the rest of the tall golem, his body was designed to look like it wore a bright silver tailcoat and copper vest, as well as knee-length pants that were a plain gray.  
  
All in all, little Sherry was caught off guard by the stranger, that's for sure.  
  
"I-I'm okay..." she then said, while the golem hummed a bit as he didn't buy it.  
  
"You know, it's not nice for a child to lie." he then said as he knelt down to look her in the eye as he continued while pulling out a handkerchief out of a hidden compartment in his leg, "Especially when they're not happy about something. I was honestly passing by this park while exploring the town on my own when I saw you ask your babysitter to get you a snack but was only going to be on my merry way until I saw you crying. So please little one, what's bothering you?"  
  
As the golem gently dried Sherry's eyes, she sniffed a bit before speaking again.  
  
"Mommy told me not to talk to strangers." she said, causing the golem to flinch and click a bit before sighing.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. Dear me." he said, before he stood up for a moment, stepped back and gave a bow, "Call me Jack, it's a pleasure to meet you, little miss."  
  
"I'm Sherry Polheffer." the little girl said quietly, "You act kind of like a normal person despite looking like a king."  
  
"Well, while I am the King of Golemia..." Jack said as he sat down in the swing next to Sherry- which was somehow able to hold the clockwork man despite being a normal wooden swing, "I don't try and flaunt it too much. If my crown wasn't welded to my head, I'd happily take it off but alas, that isn't the case."  
  
"Oh." Sherry said, "Um... so... why talk to me, your Majes... Maja... Your Kingness?"  
  
"Because while I'm a king now, I was a simple children's toy of wax, wood, and string first- before I developed a spirit all my own." the King said with a small chuckle, "As such, I just can't stand to see a child cry in sadness, and I always try my best to leave a smile behind where ever I go during my tour of the kingdoms. So, will you tell me what's wrong, little Sherry?"  
  
"It's my big brother, Pierre." Sherry then said with a sigh, "He got hurt really bad a couple of years ago, and while Mommy and Uncle Volty worked together to build him new legs, and help Daddy too, Pierre's been miserable because he thinks he'll have to give up becoming a knight... and... and I don't know how to help."  
  
As Sherry started to cry again, Jack simply patted her back gently as he tried to quiet her down, while a look of concern once more appeared on his face. As he realized just how serious this girl's misery was, however, he seemed to fall silent and still as Sherry turned to look at him.  
  
"Oh no... d-did I break him?" Sherry then asked worriedly as she got out of her swing and tried to see if he needed winding up. Of course, as the King suddenly started moving again- especially as he fell forward with his arm hooked around the chains holding the swings up, she soon giggled a bit due to how funny the sight was.  
  
"Ah, sorry about that. I was thinking and didn't see you move." the King said with a smile, before getting up and dusting himself off. Then, he reached up and pulled his mustache off with a click, before kneeling down in front of the girl and pinning the apparent badge to her dress. "Now then, while I can't stay too long in town, I might just give you this- consider my mustache a good luck charm little Sherry, and let it fill you with bravery for the future. I know, things may seem scary, with your brother's woe's and your family's possible troubles, but don't let that get to you. If you genuinely have hope things will turn out for the best, then this badge I give you today will certainly be able to make not just your dreams, but perhaps your brother's dream to become a knight come true as well."  
  
"R-Really?" Sherry said, looking at the badge with wonder in her eyes once the king's hands moved away.  
  
"Really." the king said gently before he stood up and looked around for a moment. "Now then, let's say you and I play for a bit until your babysitter returns with your snack? I'm sure he'd be quite worried if you were still sad when he returned!"

**********

"Since Char had to wait a while before he could come back with the Unicorn Rolls, King Jumping Jack Flash and I played for a couple of hours- even when his retainer and mechanic found us first and tried and insist the king go back to the inn with him. You'd be surprised how seriously the King of Golemia took cheering up children." Sherry then said, before smiling herself as she looked down at the badge once Fang gave it back to her, "But in the end, he was right. It probably did help things turn out okay for Pierre, and I still consider it a good luck charm as well. Especially when things were rough like right now, what with the curse going on in town, and even whenever you visit Unicorn's Blade for inspection, Fang."  
  
"I see." Fang said calmly as Sherry became embarrassed for basically admitting she kept it close by whenever things were going to be challenging for her or her family, "Well, good luck charm or not, if the King of Golemia decided to secretly Knight you to try and cheer you up, then I promise that while I'm in town, I will show you how to at least activate the armor so you can get it on in a pinch. As one Knight to another, it's the least I can do, ya know?"  
  
"Really? Thanks!" Sherry said with a smile, while Pierre did his best to force a smile of his own while in reality, he wasn't too happy about the reveal as his sister continued, "How long will you be in town, Sir Fang?"  
  
"Well, since I'm supposed to only be here for Inspection, if the culprit behind the curse isn't caught right away, I'll at least stick around and lend my help until he is... or until he's dead. Whichever happens first when Justice is served."  
  
"Thank you," Pierre said, before digging into his food with renewed vigor.  
  
Later, once everyone had finished their breakfast Pierre and Fang would wait on the first floor of his home, where Mrs. Polheffer had set up her shop. While the rest of the family would be setting up the guest room for Fang's stay in town, the two knights would wait for Marik and Renee to arrive before getting to work on finally ending the curse that had hit the town. Unfortunately, things were quiet between the two, as Pierre simply looked out the window while Fang noticed the scowl the man had on his face.  
  
"Okay, what's bothering you this time?" Fang then asked, causing Pierre to glance towards him and glare for a moment before he returned to the window and caused Fang to sigh, "Alright then... I'm glad we have some privacy so I can ask this without your folks around so I don't cause you and them to fight, but is your foul mood because of what Sherry and I talked about?"  
  
"Yes." Pierre said, "I'm actually envious that in spite of all my hard work, my sister was given the highest rank of knighthood for a kingdom during a time where I was faced with the idea I'd have to give up my dream because of a fear I'd never be able to even _walk_ again."  
  
"Ah, crap..." Fang said with a growl as he realized what he did, "Sweet Grimm Pierre, I'm so sorry. I swear, I didn't mean to degrade your hard work like that, I was being a complete idiot without realizing it. Ugh... This feels like the thing with Chicken Little's pop all over again..."  
  
"Oh, gods..." Pierre said with a groan as he remembered _that_ incident as well before he crossed his arms, "At least it's not _exactly_ like that, I mean... we don't have a burlap sack and a bottle of that... _stuff..._ we accidentally made while we were still at the Academy."  
  
Fang then glared at Pierre, with only the two of them actually having known what it was for, but neither saying a word due to their oath to never actually talk about it unless they were positive no one would overhear.  
  
"You know, you've gotten better at hiding details especially since your mind still seemed elsewhere during breakfast." Fang then said, if only to change the subject. "Used to, you'd just tell me the details upfront, instead of having me learn a bit more over time. Something else about the current case bothering you?"  
  
"It's nothing." Pierre said as he then moved closer to the door, "I just haven't slept well due to that mage's shenanigans, and I'm worried about the risk it might carry for my sister as well."  
  
Before Fang could respond though, a knock sounded as Pierre opened it, before stepping outside and shutting it behind him. Just as the silver-haired knight saw, Marik and Renee were there, though the latter was wearing a longer-sleeved, pale yellow dress and a leather bracer on her wrist in order to hide her own bracelet from the public eye. As for Marik, he wore his usual vest, pants, boots, and silver chain with the very stylish cork hanging from it, and also carried a small case with a handle on it as the manticore-fae simply stared at Pierre with a by-now familiar look of annoyance.  
  
"Any trouble on the way here?" Pierre then asked nervously, as Marik raised an eyebrow in suspicion.  
  
"None, however... why are you acting so nervous, Knight?" Marik then asked, "Is there a problem on your end?"  
  
"Sir Leonne is here." Pierre then whispered as quietly as he could, "I've told him as much as I could without revealing you-know-what, but..."  
  
It was then the door opened up, revealing Fang looking quite annoyed as he cleared his throat, and spoke up.  
  
"What's the 'you-know-what' you just mentioned?" he then said, before pointing to his pointed ears to remind Pierre about his excellent hearing.  
  
"Uh... W-Well..." Pierre then said before Renee stepped in to save the knight's hide.  
  
"In exchange for the potion that my brother, Marik spent the past few days making," she said, "Pierre promised to play with our little brother Timothy once the curse is lifted. He was probably just not sure how to mention it to you without sounding embarrassed since well... Timmy _is_ only four years old."  
  
"Huh." Fang said, blinking in surprise as he then looked towards Pierre, "This true, Silver-legs?"  
  
"Yes." Pierre said with a nod, and also giving a sigh of relief once he felt his heartbeat return to normal, "I was very embarrassed on how to explain it to you, sir, and uh... well, I guess it could have been worse, right?"  
  
"Yeah, you have a point there." Fang then said as he seemed to buy the cover story, "Anyway, Marik, Renee, Pierre told me about what you two are doing to help with the current problem in town, so I'd like to thank you for that though... Why exactly does this potion need two of you to deliver it?"  
  
"Renee was the one that would have delivered it herself," Marik then said as politely as he could, "However, because of the fact the culprit is targeting her specifically, I came along with her to make sure that idiot didn't try anything. Considering my reputation concerning what happens to those who harm my family while I'm around... well, I'm quite sure there's no one _that stupid_ to try it anyway."  
  
"G-Good point." Fang said with a nervous laugh before he took on a more serious expression, "So, I take it then that the mage behind this has a personal connection to your sister? Considering the fact that Pierre mentioned she was about to be attacked before he stepped in to protect her by sheer chance."  
  
"Did he mention anything else?" Marik then asked, shooting a glare towards Pierre who simply took it at this point.  
  
"Just that it happened exactly as I told you as far as I know, why? Was there something else he hadn't mentioned to me?" Fang asked as he looked Marik in the eye and wondered what else his friend might be hiding from him.  
  
"Only that the perpetrator is Renee's ex-husband." Marik said, and continued before Fang could ask, "He treated her very poorly, I and her father stepped in to get her out of his home, and if you ask any more questions about it, Sir Leonne, I'll remove your tail very slow and very painfully."  
  
"Noted," Fang said, gulping as he decided not to piss off the red headed fae any further. "Let's just... talk more inside."  
  
With that said, the White Rose Knight then stepped out of the way, allowing Pierre and the two Zavriels to enter the building. Of course, as both fae then warded the house to prevent anyone spying on them, Marik then walked to the shop counter and set the case down to open it up, revealing a bottle of purple liquid resting carefully in the padded interior of the case.  
  
"Now then," Marik then said, his scorpion tail curling a bit as he continued, "As a reminder, Knight, you need to locate the toad and pour this on to it, the potion will then kill it, thus ending the curse. I do hope you have a way of knowing where to find it."  
  
"Yeah, do you know where it might be, Pierre?" Fang then asked, only for Pierre to smirk.  
  
"I may not have an exact location, yet," Pierre then said before confidently adding, "However, I do plan on asking Monsieur Lupo for assistance. Since one of his companions was a victim, he could perhaps track her scent to find the nest."  
  
"Er... y-you sure you want to ask him?" Fang asked, "I mean, he _is_ the Big Bad Wolf, so he may not want to help local law enforcement..."  
  
"Fangstian," Pierre said, once again showing how serious he was by using his superior's first name, "During his time here in Unicorn's Blade, he has not done anything worth arresting and has been reported as protectively guarding his companion alongside his own bodyguard in shifts, according to the innkeeper. So, it is safe to assume that given the opportunity, he would happily lend his aid to us, if it meant the curse on his companion being broken."  
  
"Okay... this is your case, so you're in charge here. We'll see the Big Bad Wolf," Fang said in defeat, before adding in his own thoughts _"And here I was hoping to avoid Ricky while I'm in town. Sweet Andersen, is this payback for pissing off Sandra this morning or what?"_

~0~

At the Laughing Raven inn and tavern of Unicorn's Blade, Ricky Lupo was busy reading a book he had gotten in the town market- while he simply wore a white shirt with his pants and let his vest remain unbuttoned for the moment while his tie was neatly tied around his neck and the Wind Stone pin placed in the knot at his throat. As he needed something to pass the time while stuck in town, he figured a collection of mystery stories would be good for inspiration later on after his hunt, or perhaps for how to take out his brother's murderer when he finally caught up to her.  
  
 _"So, as I turned the key to the hidden room, I could hear my heart pound in my chest. At last, I'd have the treasure I had to murder my friend for, and I believed that not even the local knights could stop me!"_ he read, _"However, when I opened the door---"_  
  
 _Knock! Knock! Knock!  
_  
"Just when I was getting to the twist..." Ricky mumbled as he marked his place and got up to get the door as his bodyguard got out of bed. As Arachne had guarded Veronica during the night, the two of them were able to catch up on some sleep in their own adjoining room. Sure, he was surprised to learn that the seemingly Usaginaban woman was, in fact, the eldest daughter of Calina Zavriel, but when the shock wore off, it did provide him some relief about whether or not he could trust her.  
  
Of course, the last thing he expected to see was the knight they met when they got to town, and two more members of the Zavriel family- Marik and Renee going by what he heard about them. Of course, he could also smell a lion with them even though he couldn't see their fourth companion due to them being out of sight, the wolf decided not to ask about it just yet as he spoke to Pierre Polheffer.  
  
"Sir Polheffer." he said, still not using the nickname he thought of for the man out of respect and the desire to not get arrested- even if the knight didn't seem to be the type to arrest a man for petty reasons, "If you're here about that damn mage that tried to rob me yesterday, I'm sure there are several people who'd back up my claim of self-defense."  
  
"Actually, I'm here to ask your help... but do you mind if we come in so that you can... _properly_ report this incident?" Pierre then asked, and as Ricky nodded and moved out of the way, the wolf then noticed that the group had seemed rather surprised at the story and was about to join them at the table when Wamu had walked out of the room to grab something... or rather someone who was attempting to sneak away.  
  
"Wha- H-Hey!" Ricky then heard a familiar voice say, causing him to growl as he watched his bodyguard drag the White Rose Knight into the room by the back of his shirt, only to stop as Ricky shut the door and took back his seat where his jacket was hanging off the back, and his hat was resting on the table by his book, and also next to the ribbon he used to tie back his hair.  
  
 _"Great, looks like I'm dealing with this damn lion again."_ Ricky then thought, before signaling to Wamu to put Fang down in a seat right across from the wolf, and remained silent as the two Bestial Elves greeted each other.  
  
"Crook." said Fang, glaring at the wolf with his green eyes.  
  
"Sir Fale," Ricky said, glaring right back at the lion with his own yellow eyes as he used the rather unfortunate nickname that the White Rose Knight's full name had given the wolf. "I thought we agreed not to get involved with each other again after the Labrys Incident, back when Allu was in charge of the family."  
  
"Believe me, Crook." Fang then said as he crossed his arms, while Ricky tied back his dark silver hair and slipped on his tall hat, "I didn't plan to get tangled up with you again- especially now that you're the Big Bad Wolf yourself, but unfortunately, things were beyond my control this time."  
  
"What's the Labrys incident?" Pierre then asked, honestly curious about what sort of history these two had between them.  
  
 _"Classified."_ both wolf and lion said, directing their glares towards Pierre, who simply flinched before he chose to move on and get right down to business.  
  
"Right." he then said with a sigh, "Monsieur Lupo, can you tell me about why you're in town in the first place?"  
  
"Of course," Ricky said as Wamu leaned against the wall and watched in silence as his charge began to speak. "See, a couple of weeks ago, my twin brother, Alan was murdered. I was the one to discover the body and a scrap of a red cloak belonging to the murderer- a member of the Red Family. After the funeral and I became the current Big Bad Wolf, I not only ended the feud between the Lupos and the Reds but also was given full permission to hunt down the murderer and deliver justice as I see fit. Of course, while preparations were being made, I learned that my friend Veze- er, Veronica Zeppeli had gotten herself involved with a faerie without realizing it, and so to avoid her getting hurt or worse whenever she sleepwalked to... wherever that fae is located, I and Wamu decided to bring her along and escort her to her faerie boy before anything else. It was only when we were closing in on Unicorn's Blade did we learn from miss Arachne that Veronica was engaged to the fae that's causing her to sleepwalk."  
  
"So, you were only intending to stop in town for the night, before your friend was cursed?" Pierre then asked, while he also put things together in his head and decided not to bring up the fact the wolf's group nearly hit him with their cart that day.  
  
"Yeah, that's right." Ricky said, "Maybe restock on supplies before leaving, but if it weren't for the curse, we'd been out of your hair pretty quickly. However, since that curse Veze is under would make it hard to travel, it'd be wiser to wait until it's lifted."  
  
"Understandable." Pierre said with a nod, "Now, will you please tell me about this encounter you had yesterday?"  
  
"I've got nothing to hide, so yes, I will." Ricky said "I was just walking towards the southern woods, on the verge of going into Feral Mode and needed a chance to just... go somewhere and do something that wouldn't hurt anyone. While I was thinking about my brother, I was bumped into by this mage named Netanel- white hair, dark skin, red eyes and a bratty attitude. After a few words, he noticed my tie-pin and tried to get me to hand it over to him so he could 'study it and unlock its true potential.' I refused, of course, and explained why to him, but he wouldn't believe me, and so prepared to cast a spell to force me to hand it to him. Considering the fact that my will and a family heirloom was on the line, I took the chance to kick him in the middle of a false accusation of me using magic myself to keep the stone from him. He landed in a mud puddle, and I heard clicking under his robe- I assume he had clockwork parts on his body, but... something tells me that he didn't lose the original parts in an accident. The _idiota_ seemed crazy, even by mage standards, to want to stay all flesh and blood."  
  
As Pierre wrote down this information in a journal of his own, the Big Bad Wolf then looked towards Renee, and upon noticing a worried look she had on her face, remembered the last time he saw her in Bella Aquae, with that exact same expression as she was trying to get some shopping done. They had chatted, and while he did learn that she had an awful husband, he would have stepped in to head a relocation operation had she not mentioned her brother Marik would get her father to help her escape. So, all he did then was encourage her that things would get better, before parting ways and heading home.  
  
Of course, he did tell King Tonio that the Lord of all Hellhounds would be passing through the city, which led to a few days of the town watch being off duty until the big escape happened.  
  
"I take it, that Netanel is the guy you wanted to run away from, Renee?" Ricky then said, causing the hellhound-fae to nod, "So, why do you seem worried again? Was it about what I said about the clockwork parts?"  
  
"Yeah." Renee then said as she started tracing the links of chain wrapped around her more monstrous arm. "Netanel said he wanted to become a clockwork golem, in order to become immortal, but... I had hoped he had just enough sense to not go through with it- I mean, considering how things are between Spherean and Golemia, the fact that he even wanted to do that made him a pariah there... along with that possibly inherited paranoia he gained from... one of his parents, as well as his poor understanding of how magic worked."  
  
"I feel sorrier for the poor sap he may have forced into replacing parts of his body with clockwork..." Ricky growled, "However, if I'm right, then I'm also guessing that your ex-husband is involved with the curse on Veze?"  
  
"Ouija- er, yes." Pierre then said with a grim nod, "As the curse involves a toad on a nest of hair from the victims- possibly one toad per victim, we need your help in finding where they are located using your sense of smell to try and find the hair used in those nests."  
  
"Count me in. Hell, I'll even help you catch the bastard." Ricky then said with a grin as he got up and went to get something of Veronica's from her room, only for Fang to speak up and stop the wolf.  
  
"You seem awfully eager to help, even if your companion is one of the victims." the lion then said, "What's the catch?"  
  
"What can I say? I swore to myself I'd send a hurricane after the bastard who cast this curse, and Veze has herself a faerie husband somewhere in Fanterra waiting for her. So, if I want to make sure she gets to her 'Ethereas' safe and sound, I'm gonna have to take out anyone who tries to cause trouble for her on the way." Ricky then explained before continuing his task as Marik got up and followed him.  
  
"What makes you so sure that's the faerie that your companion Veronica is engaged to?" the red head then asked, while silently greeting Arachne as he entered the room.  
  
"Veronica told me the name of the Fae who rescued her before she and I met, and your sister Arachne confirmed the engagement," Ricky said, while pointing to the golden collar on the sleeping Veronica's neck, though, he did omit the fact Veronica was from another world. Mainly due to a hunch he had that the more people who knew about that, the more likely the girl would get into bigger trouble later down the road, or worse, killed.  
  
"I see," Marik said as he looked at the sleeping, silver-haired girl. "Richard, if you will allow me to, I'd like to stay here and keep an eye on your friend, though I would like you to help keep my sister safe while you and the others find the toad- or toads."  
  
"Call me Ricky, and I'll do my best to keep your sister safe, don't worry," Ricky then said as he picked up Veronica's black and white checkered scarf and wrapped it around his own neck for easy access.  
  
"Thank you." Marik said as he stood in the doorway connecting Ricky and Veronica's rooms, "And... good luck- all of you."  
  
"I think I'll stay here, to keep an eye on Marik," Fang said, only to be grabbed by Ricky as he headed towards the door.  
  
"Wamu, you stay behind in case there's trouble, I'll keep the cowardly lion here with the hunting party," Ricky said as he dragged Fang along with Pierre and Renee following after them. All the indigo-haired bodyguard did was simply nod in silence, while also smirking a bit as he recalled the Labrys incident Ricky had told him about when he returned from that particular wasteland where it seemed everything was deadly in some for or another.  
  
Not that he'd tell anyone behind his charge's back of course.

~0~

Meanwhile, in Thornsborough, Jotaro Kujo and his group stood outside the home of Tyler Williamson- a three-story tower that looked a little plain compared to how gaudy Tyler himself dressed the day before. In fact, the only things of note outside the tower were a pair of golden lilies and a small herb garden off to the side.  
  
"So Pietro," Joseph then said as the group stared at the tower in disappointment- especially since there didn't seem to be any form of security along with the fact they had expected something more impressive, "If we pluck those lilies, how much do you think they'd sell for?"  
  
"A prison sentence." Pietro said as he glanced at the flowers in question, "Those are Life Lilies, which can allow a person to know how a loved one or possibly an enemy is in terms of health. By the looks of things, whoever those flowers are tied to, they seem to be in good health as there's nothing wrong with them, but plucking them will kill whoever they are magically tied to. In fact, to even move them from one spot to another requires careful measures to avoid shock from transplanting, not to mention that the magic used to tie at least one flower to a person's life force is a very difficult spell to cast- and usually done by highly experienced and professional magicians."  
  
"So, no picking the flowers got it," Joseph said with a sigh as Jotaro and Carmen walked up to the door and kicked it open at the same time before they ran in.  
  
"Alright Tyler, it's time to pay for your as-" Carmen then said, only to stop as she looked around the main floor to see it looked like a tornado went through it- broken furniture, torn up animal beds of various sizes, even claw marks were present on the stone walls of the tower. However, as there seemed to be no sign of life- save the trail of blood heading towards a broken door on the other side of the room, it seemed that for team Jojo, their mission of revenge seemed to get a little more interesting.  
  
Of course, as the confused group of heroes noticed how abandoned the place looked, only Jotaro asked what they were all thinking.  
  
"What the hell happened here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from an OC Remix song called It's Knight Time, which is apparently for a game called Wizards and Warriors.
> 
> No new Alternates debut this chapter.
> 
> Anywho, this chapter took a while due to my laptop dying on the first of June, followed by stress, and other things. Thankfully, I managed to get it done, and hopefully, when my laptop's new motherboard arrives on June 8th this year- or sometime around that date, I'll be able to access my writing music again and get the next chapter out sooner.
> 
> Now, for Sherry's flashback, originally that wasn't going to happen but... well, I decided to give it a shot since well, it'd be giving an early introduction to a character that'll probably appear later on- King Jumping Jack Flash the First and Only of Golemia. If he doesn't, eh, at least you guys get to see him somewhere. Also, I'd like to admit that somehow, the clockwork king ended up looking sort of like Markiplier of all people in my head... and sounding like him as well. Not sure how that happened, but eh, I kind of like the idea.
> 
> Next, the bit with Ricky reading before getting to the twist was inspired by me reading old House of Mystery comics online while relaxing between writing sessions... and also well, trying to not get too stressed about my nearly 7-year-old laptop dying while working on a spare laptop my dad had around the house.
> 
> Finally, the Labrys Incident between Fang and Ricky will not be revealed in detail. Yet. May one day, but for now? I'll let y'all speculate on it... all I'll say however, is that it was most likely embarrassing for all involved.
> 
> And yes, Labrys may or may not be the Fanterran equivalent of Australia.
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Team Jojo explores Tyler's Tower and a Curse is lifted...


	20. Starshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Jojo investigates Tyler's tower, and learn some rather surprising- and frightening things about the mage. 
> 
> Meanwhile, the curse affecting young women in Unicorn' Blade is lifted.

"What the hell happened here?" Jotaro asked as he saw the scene before him as the inside of Tyler's home looked much like a tornado had gone through it. Broken furniture littered the floor, bits of fluff from the five animal beds scattered about, and combined with the claw marks on the walls, it made Jotaro and his allies wonder just what might have done all this.

However, the trail of blood leading towards an open basement door did leave little to the imagination.

"By the Brothers..." Pietro said and trembled as he was the most visibly frightened of the group at the moment, "I've not seen this much blood in 78 years, 11 months and five days! It seems to be almost as horrifying as the Death Chamber of Count Bluebeard of the former Bigby County."

"Oh yeah, read about that..." Carmen said, "He was discovered to be a serial wife murderer, and his last one caused him to die instead, right?"

"Yes." Pietro then said as he nodded grimly, while he also looked as pale as a ghost, "Catherine was a rather clever and brave young lady, and when I spoke to her after she found the chamber, she told me to contact her family so they could come rescue her, while she delayed Bluebeard himself until they arrived... sadly, I er, also caught a glimpse of the Death Chamber and all I'll say is that it was--"

He was then interrupted as his ears twitched before he looked up towards the ceiling in worry. "Oh no. It seems there is something upstairs, and under the circumstances, it will most likely mean trouble."

"So, looks like we may need to split up," Joseph said, which earned him a vaguely quizzical look from Jotaro.

"What gave you that idea?" the teen and barring Alphonse, possibly the youngest member of the group then asked.

"Simple, half of us go upstairs to investigate the noise, while that blood trail leading downstairs can be looked into by the other half!" Joseph said with a grin, "Pietro, Irene and I will head upstairs. So, you, Carmen and Alphonse can look around in the basement."

"Right. And if either group gets into trouble? What then?" Jotaro then asked as he crossed his arms.

"Now, now, Jotaro," Joseph then said as he wagged his finger in the teen's face, "After all we've been through, it's very likely that there could be trouble. However, you better not have forgotten that not only have we survived so far but also that we are quite capable of taking care of ourselves. Hell, last night even Pietro showed he could handle himself, so I'm sure we'll be fine!"

While Jotaro recalled the battle he saw the night before, as he looked towards Pietro now, the teen couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable the deer-man had become. While he wasn't sure if it was due to the current environment or the aftermath of the fight itself, Jotaro honestly was not sure if Pietro would be able to act like that again so soon.

"Looking at the claw marks, whatever made them was huge." Jotaro then said as he looked towards the wall, "If that thing is still around, I'm not sure three people will be enough to handle it."

"Jotaro, I have powerful magic, Pietro has mystical speed along with his mirror powers, and your grandfather is a clever man." Irene then said, before giving a reassuring smile, "I can understand that you might be worried, but splitting up may help us cover more ground faster, and thanks to those gold accessories you have, Pietro may be able to contact you if we find anything and let us know if you might need our help."

Jotaro simply nodded as he conceded the argument for now, and silently went towards the basement with Alphonse and Carmen in tow, while Joseph and his team headed up the stairs to the next floor. Though, as they walked with Irene in the lead, Joseph couldn't help but look back at Pietro with worry as the stag seemed to be lost in thought.

"Hey Irene, how about you check out the top floor?" Joseph then asked the witch as they reached the door to the second floor.

"Are you sure? I mean, we could all look around the second floor together before searching the next one." Irene then said with a bit of confusion.

"Yeah, but I think we could get done even faster if one of us heads further up," Joseph said, before leaning in to whisper as quietly as possible, "Plus, I'm worried about our friend here, so I need to have a man to man chat, ok?"

Irene simply nodded, before she continued to head further up alone, while Joseph looked to Pietro and grinned as he dragged him through the door and into a hallway with a plain, wooden floor, and two simple looking doors on either side. However, instead of beginning their search immediately, Joseph instead let Pietro go and rested against the lavender painted wall to speak.

"Pietro, are you alright?"

"No, no I'm not," Pietro said quietly, which caused Joseph to sigh as he had a good idea about what was bothering his friend.

"We should probably talk about what happened in the cave if you're up for it." Joseph then said as he headed to the nearest door on the left side of the hallway, behind which was a rather sparsely decorated bedroom with more lavender colored walls, a simple bed covered in white sheets, a wardrobe in the corner, and a wooden table with a couple of chairs. While it didn't seem to be in use judging by the layer of dust on the table, it also didn't look like the kind of room a wizard like Tyler would sleep in as Joseph assumed a man with a gaudy taste in clothes like that would probably have a bedroom to match. Of course, as he then let Pietro come in and sit at the table, Joseph then sat next to him after taking a moment to move a chair closer to the stag.

"So, I'm guessing that fight is what's bothering you?" Joseph then asked, as Pietro sadly nodded.

"Yes." he then said, "I never expected to... to have to kill anything, especially not a child like Monde was. I even tried to avoid having to kill him, but, I also realized that if I didn't, he'd try and kill you and possibly Carmen's great-grandfather as well as try and destroy everyone in Miravel and perhaps all of Fanterra itself, if he had managed to leave Silvas' lair."

"Yeah," Joseph said, as he also remembered what Pietro had said to Monde before about having something to lose and also guessed he had been talking about everyone in Deerbank. "However, whatever Monde used to be, I think killing him would have been necessary. I mean, it looked like Monde's true form was experimented on or something, and well, even if he had lived, he probably would have been in a lot of pain for the rest of his life. Honestly, I think what you did by fighting him and ending his life was a mercy, as sad as it is anyway."

Pietro didn't say a thing in response and was clearly uncomfortable as he rubbed his arm and frowned. However, as Joseph examined the antlered man, he noticed that Pietro seemed regretful about something, and it probably wasn't just Monde's death. In fact, as he thought about it, Joseph realized that while Pietro was certainly strong and fast, he seemed to rely more on his speed to try and run away than stay and fight. Sure, Pietro had said he wasn't someone who could actually fight, but as he remembered the previous night, Joseph noted that for someone who wasn't a fighter, he did manage to hold his own against Monde- when he had no choice anyway.

"Pietro, there's something I've noticed about you that I just don't get," the brunette then said, "You seem to have a bit of skill in a fight, and you're pretty strong for a skinny guy, so why do you prefer to run away rather than stay and fight?"

Pietro's body stiffened for a moment, which allowed Joseph to note that he had managed to make some headway in learning more about the stag. Of course, as Pietro's face then became uneasy, he then sighed as he looked at the wooden table rather than Joseph's face, and spoke.

"It's because I'm afraid," he said, "I'm afraid of what I may become if I do fight, and start enjoying it  _too much_. My father, my aunt, and my sister are quite capable fighters, but they can get a little too excited during combat. Because of this, even though fighting is in my blood, I am afraid to fight because of what I may become if I do so too often. Especially with my strength being as it is."

"Yeah, I saw how easily you kicked apart Monde," Joseph said as he thought back on the battle the night before, "But, how strong are you, anyway?"

"Strong enough to dent Adamantine- the second strongest material in Fanterra," Pietro said quietly after a moment of hesitation, "At least, that's how it was when I was a child."

Joseph was silent then, letting this information go through his mind as he started to get an idea of what exactly was bothering Pietro. If he was strong enough to dent something that was considered the second strongest material in the world back when he was a kid, then that meant that he had to have discovered that limit as a child. Though, if it was just an ordinary Adamantine slab, it shouldn't scare him this much, unless there was something else that led to him being afraid of his own strength.

"Pietro," Joseph then said once he figured it out, "Did you ever kill someone?"

Pietro closed his eyes as his face became remorseful, silent for what seemed like hours before he let out a sigh and answered Joseph.

"Before Monde? Never on purpose."

Joseph said nothing at first, by now letting Pietro's expressions combined with his words fill him in on what Pietro meant. He then patted him on the shoulder, before giving Pietro a small smile as the stag turned to look at him.

"Hey, I can tell you're a good person, Pietro." Joseph then said gently, "Sure, you can be pretty frightening when it comes to punishing people like your cousin's ex-husband, and Snow White's mother, but that was probably because you were stuck in a mirror, and couldn't do anything else, right?"

"Yes," Pietro said, "I get my sense of justice from both my father and my mother, but I think I get my ability to kill from my Father as well. He killed the mage that turned him into a stag, as I told you the day we met, and as a child..."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Joseph said as Pietro fell silent again and started to tremble, "But, it was an accident, right?"

"Yes, I... I woke up in the forest one morning, thanks to Peri taking me out of my bed while I slept, so I wouldn't be able to find my way back home easily." Pietro then said as he showed the memory from his point of view with the help of a mirror, "I... I was scared, and when someone came close and spoke to me, I panicked, kicked him, and..."

As Pietro started breaking down from the memory, the mirror broke apart while Joseph figured out what had happened from what he'd seen. To him, Pietro had kicked someone he had momentarily seen as a threat when he a child, most likely because he was frightened enough to let his animal instincts take over. However, when he'd seen what he'd done, it probably scared him enough that when he was found, it shook him hard enough to make him desire not to fight, and only use his strength when he was sure that no one would die.

"So, who was he?" Joseph then asked once he managed to calm the two hundred and twenty-year-old stag down with some fatherly experience he gained from raising Holly. Especially when she had a bad enough day to just break down crying- whether it was due to stress from exams while she was in college, to that time her boyfriend had cheated on her and then broke up with her back when she was a teenager. Sure, he couldn't just take Pietro on a trip to some place like he could his daughter due to the fact he just didn't know the world that well, but a bit of contact and some soothing words could do wonders. Maybe not give him a hug considering he didn't want to risk Irene walking in on them and misinterpreting things, but he'd do what he could.

"That's just it. I don't know." Pietro said, "In fact, no one knew who he was, other than some random traveler who had his life ended by a nine-year-old boy. Because of that, he could have been anyone- a noble, an adventurer with a family, or even a simple wanderer. The fact no one knew who he was just made things worse for me."

Joseph said nothing. How could he if he wasn't even sure how to respond to that in the first place? Though, the fact that Pietro still felt guilt over an accident involving a complete stranger did let Joseph know that the man before him was a good one. Maybe a little creepy when it comes to punishing people who harm those he cares about, but still a good man.

It was a few minutes before Joseph finally figured out what to say when a scream echoed from above.

"Was that Irene!?" Joseph said with worry, while Pietro simply gained a slightly annoyed expression on his face as both of them stood up.

"Well, that scream did belong to a woman and you did send Irene upstairs on her own, so unless there's someone up there that is really good at imitating voices, it most likely is her." the stag said dryly, as both men then headed back to the stairs to see what was going on.

**********

On the third floor, Irene was surprised to find only one room made up the entire floor- Tyler's lab. Though, while it looked as much of a mess as the first floor what with scattered fragments of glass, reagents, and splinters of the man's work table, what caught Irene's attention the most was the pool of blood in the middle of the room. Of course, the lack of a body of any kind put her on edge as she recalled the horror stories she read in her spare time in Spherean- where a lack of body could mean that an undead monster could attack at any moment. As a chill sent down her spine, she placed a hand in her gem pouch and placed her hand on the Sardonyx charm inside it so she could pull it out and use it to burn any zombies that could come out and try and attack while she was all alone.  
  
When she stopped right next to the pool of blood, however, she saw something on the floor that sparkled in the sunlight that came through the window- a red gem stone set in a golden emblem that she definitely recognized.  
  
"This is Tyler's Diary stone." she said as she used her free hand to pick it up, "Well, this should be useful to learn just what that bastard may be up to once I use the password."  
  
Smiling as she slipped it into her pouch and turned around, it seemed nothing would happen as she moved towards the door, only to scream as she felt something brush against her leg. Turning around, she saw Tyler's pet lion, or rather what was left of it as it seemed like it had a few bites taken out of its body.  
  
"Miss Almandine, I do apologize in advance, but I must make sure you don't do anything rash while I heal." The beast said, while Irene saw his heart actually regrow within its chest as it closed, she was about to pull out her sardonyx to try and roast the unearthly lion before everything went dark.  
  
  
Moments later, Joseph and Pietro entered the lab, only to stop as they saw Irene frozen in place ready to pull something out of her gem pouch. However, as the two then saw the lion sitting in front of her as the hole in his chest closed up, along with part of his skull reforming, they paused for a moment before Joseph summoned Hermit Purple and sent sparks of Hamon energy along the vines. Of course, as the lion glared at them for a moment, his eyes turned to Pietro before they widened in recognition while his skin and muscle reformed over his exposed skull.  
  
"I am surprised to see another being still alive after two hundred years." the lion then said, causing Joseph to flinch.  
  
"Two hundred and two, actually, but I was stuck in a mirror for most of that time," Pietro said as if he was addressing an old friend, while Joseph looked at him in disbelief.  
  
"How are you not freaking out that thing can talk!?" Joseph snapped as he pointed at the lion, who then humphed at being called a thing.  
  
"Well, talking animals were a common thing once," Pietro then said with a shrug, "they seemed to have disappeared over the past one hundred and fifty years, but I still believed it was possible to encounter at least one in the present."  
  
"And the fact that lion is actually regenerating!?" Joseph then said, "Could talking animals do that too!?"  
  
"Well, no, that is actually new." Pietro said as he became uneasy, "But, he is intelligent and hasn't attacked us yet so... perhaps you should dismiss Hermit Purple, and try and handle this diplomatically?"  
  
"Diplo... Pietro, he's some undead monster! Not to mention he managed to freeze Irene!" Joseph then argued, "How do we know he's not waiting to attack us next!?"  
  
"I do have a name, just so you know." the lion then said a bit irritably, "It's Aurelio, and Miss Almandine will be fine, she's just frozen so she doesn't do anything stupid while I regenerate, and so she won't panic as I take her out of the tower safely while myself, Master Tyler, and my fellow familiars handled the trouble that arrived yesterday. Also, I do apologize for the mess, had I known I wouldn't be able to even move until just after Irene came in and picked up my master's Diary, I would have made sure that there was a contingency in place to clean up while I recovered."  
  
"And what sort of trouble is this? I'm sure we could help out since it seems you didn't really have it handled." Joseph then asked, still suspicious of the overly polite lion. However, Aurelio then growled as he finished regenerating, while Pietro simply poked Irene to unfreeze her- and also stop her from fireballing Joseph as the brunette now stood between her and the beast.  
  
"It is none of your concern." Aurelio then said, "Personally, I think you all should leave and move on with your own stories."  
  
"Well, it is kind of Tyler's fault we're here." Pietro then said, "If he hadn't cursed Jotaro in the first place, we'd have simply ignored him and moved on, I think."  
  
The lion let out a soft growl as he closed his eyes, as he had realized that Pietro was correct and so began to explain what happened.  
  
"A monster came in, having rescued Sinatra the rabbit." Aurelio began, "He insisted that Master Tyler repay him for finding his pet, and as failure to honor a debt is taboo in Fanterra, Tyler had no choice but to do so. However, when Tyler did as that monster had asked of him, the fiend betrayed us by sending in two monstrous beasts downstairs. They came up here to the lab upon defeating Bon Jovi the bear, and while they  _inconvenienced_  master Tyler- hence the pool of blood, I still fought to protect Sinatra for as long as I could. However, the monsters managed to overpower me, eating my heart out and crushing my skull.  
  
"I assume that because Master Tyler and Sinatra are not here at the moment, they managed to lead the monsters out of here while I was unconscious." Aurelio then said as he finished his tale, while an important question hung in the air.  
  
"You... you and Tyler should be dead, right?" Irene then said, "How can you even be able to come back from that? It shouldn't even be possible!"  
  
"That, is a sad tale, but for now, myself, Bon Jovi, McCloud, Steppen, and Sinatra made a deal, to stay with Master Tyler until he can... figure out a cure for his condition," Aurelio said, before heading out of the room and signalling the group to follow him, only to stop for a moment to speak to Irene. "Also, Miss Almandine? Please return Master Tyler's Diary stone, he would not be happy to learn it was stolen."  
  
"Fine..." Irene said with a sigh as she pulled the stone out and slipped it into the lion's collar before she grumbled as she followed the lion out of the room.

**********

In the town of Unicorn's Blade, the townspeople on the street watched as Sir Pierre Polheffer followed after the scarf wearing Ricky Lupo along with Renee Zavriel and the White Rose Knight himself, Fangstian Leonne. Going by the silver haired knight's face though, it seemed that he was making some headway in his investigation about the curse that had hit the town, and so a crowd started to form behind them, curious about where exactly they were going.  
  
Ricky Lupo, however, paid them no mind and focused on following Veronica's scent to the nest. As he eventually got on all fours as he ran through town though, Pierre had to really work his legs just to keep up, while Renee and Fang took to the air as they flew after the wolf that had just managed to find a strong trail as he decided to follow it before it could possibly get lost. By the time the wolf had stopped, Pierre, Renee, Fang and the crowd would find him next to an old well on the other side of the large rock that held the very sword the town was named for, and as he looked down the well, it seemed that the toad was hidden in the last place any one would have thought to look.  
  
"That well's not been used in ages." Pierre said, before letting out a sigh, "It was too obvious a location, so I didn't think Netanel would hide the source of his curse there and instead thought he'd try someplace more obscure."  
  
"Eh, it happens to the best of us, Sir Silver Legs." Fang then said as he patted Pierre's shoulder, "We can't always predict what our opponent will do."  
  
"Thank you, Fang." Pierre said, though before he could continue, a voice from the crowd that had gathered behind them spoke up.  
  
"Sir Pierre," said a young girl that seemed about ten years old, "Is this where you'll make my big sister better?"  
  
"Hopefully, yes." Pierre said with a smile before he cleared his throat to add, "Now, does anyone have a rope we can use to climb down into the well?"  
  
"I do!" said a young man in the crowd, before running off to go get it, leaving the rest of the town to wait until his return.  
  
"Pierre, Fang and I could just fly you and Ricky down into the well." Renee then said, "Why do you need a rope?"  
  
"If Netanel is using just one toad to act as a generator of sorts for his curse," Pierre then said, "Then he may have placed a trap in case you fly down in there, to try and help break it. And even if he's hiding multiple toads down there, that possible trap could still be in place and could activate if you fly in. However, if you climb down there on a rope, it may not go off and grab your wings."  
  
"Heh, and why not just leave her up here with the crowd?" Ricky asked though he did have an idea already to what the answer might have been.  
  
"There's no telling if Netanel may have disguised himself to hide in the crowd and leaving Renee alone may be what he's waiting for." Pierre then said, "So, it may be best to keep Renee with us to avoid her getting captured."  
  
Ricky and Fang both nodded in silence, as they understood that because Renee was Netanel's main target, Pierre did have a point about not leaving her alone. Especially since Netanel was a mage, and could use his magic to trick her and everyone else.  
  
  
When the young man who had gone to get a rope returned, Pierre thanked him, before tying it to the blade the town was named for, knowing full well that since no one had pulled it out yet, not even tying a rope to it and pulling it would get the blade free. Not to mention that Pierre had seen people try just that over the years, only for them to fail as the sword remained in the stone. Once the rope was secured, Pierre climbed down first, followed by Renee, Ricky and finally Sir Fang. They would find no traps, thankfully, as Fang used his detection spell to try and find any, and so for the moment, didn't have to worry about Renee being caught on the way down.  
  
At the bottom of the well though, the four soon discovered a tunnel leading into darkness.  
  
"So, you have what we need to take care of the toad on hand, right Sir Polheffer?" Ricky then asked while Renee cast a spell to light their way- for Pierre's sake, as he was the only one who couldn't see in the dark.  
  
"Ouija," Pietro said with a nod, before he reached towards his leg, slid a panel downward, and revealed a hidden compartment that contained the potion.  
  
"Huh, new feature?" Fang then said, impressed by the trick as Pierre nodded.  
  
"Of course, Mother decided it'd be handy to hide bottles of water when I work during the hotter days of the year." Pierre said with a small smile, "She does worry about me, after all."  
  
"Yeah... you're lucky to have her," Fang said, and despite the smile, Pierre knew full well that since Fang's mother disappeared one night when the lion was a boy, he most likely missed her quite a bit.  
  
"Let's get going." Pierre then said as he decided not to delay his mission any further and began to walk down the tunnel with his three companions following close behind.  
  
"Hey, something's been bugging me about this whole thing." Fang then said, "If we're looking for a toad, why would it need a nest like a bird? As it's an amphibian, couldn't it just find a pool of water or something and go about its business?"  
  
"It's a magic toad, Fang." Renee then said with a sigh, "It doesn't abide by natural laws."  
  
"Right." Fang said flatly, "Should have known that Magical Chaos Theory would get involved, with the whole 'when living creatures are made by use of magic, they may not always act as they do in nature,' part."  
  
No one said a word after that, as a moment later they reached the end of the tunnel. Of course, while Pierre himself had expected multiple toads scattered about with each one on its own nest of hair, they instead found one single toad the size of a big resting on a single nest. As it was asleep, however, Pierre simply signaled the group to remain silent as he pulled the potion out of his right leg's hidden compartment, before he silently crept towards the toad across the soft ground. Once he was close enough, he then opened the bottle, before he poured a quarter of the contents on top of the toad, and waited with baited breath.  
  
It was after a few seconds that the toad opened its eyes, seemingly giving a glare towards the knight as it let out a croak, only to start drying out as the potion took effect. Of course, when it seemed like it was about to jump away, Pierre quickly poured some more of the counter potion on top of it, which caused it to writhe in pain as the hairs began to shine and disappear in flashes of light as the nest and the toad started to grow smaller. With each application of the potion though, the more hair would vanish and return to the girl it belonged to, and also weaken the curse the toad generated. However, as it grew smaller, it also became faster, which caused Ricky and Fang to work together to catch it- with the wolf thankful he had his crossbow on hand as he could avoid touching it- and possibly getting exposed to any magical toxins it held within its warts. As Fang chased the toad with Pierre, Ricky simply shot at it with his cross bow, the bolt reappearing and ready to fire again as it hit the ground or the walls when he missed and keeping the target still when he did finally hit it- with a little help from Renee as she used her chain to grab the toad to keep it still long enough for Ricky to do so.  
  
With the toad pinned to the ground thanks to the bolt in its back, its magical nature would prevent it from dying until Pierre applied the last of the potion to it. Once he did though, the toad's body blackened and shriveled as if it had been exposed too long to the sun with nowhere to hide, before it crumbled to dust while the red and silver hairs that remained in the nest vanished, and the girls they belonged to finally freed from the curse that had afflicted them for the past few days.  
  
"Finally," Pierre said with a smile as he was relieved that the curse had been lifted before he was surprised as Renee suddenly hugged him tight and kissed him deeply in front of the two Bestial Elves with them.  
  
"Wow, I know we were victorious, but I don't think it was worth that reaction," Fang then said, "What did you do during your investigation to get this reward?"  
  
"Uh... it was probably just a late reaction for my protecting her from Netanel in the first place," Pierre said once he was able to speak, while the hellhound-faerie had her more normal arm around the knight's waist.  
  
"Yeah," Renee said with a smile as she backed up the lie, "Things have been pretty stressful lately, so I didn't have a chance to actually reward him until now."  
  
"I... guess that makes sense," Fang said as he seemed to buy the story. Ricky Lupo on the other hand, simply raised an eyebrow as he felt there was more to what was going on between Pierre and Renee, but didn't say a word as he felt like it wasn't any of his business. Not to mention he had someone else on his mind as he grabbed Fang and started dragging him back down the tunnel.  
  
"Come on Sir Fale," the Big Bad Wolf then said, "Job's done, so we better get out of here before the locals worry about their local hero."  
  
"Fine, but you don't have to grab my tail!" Fang said as he swatted at Ricky's hand to get him to let go before he started walking alongside the wolf. Pierre and Renee however, simply gave a sigh of relief as they followed after them, hand in hand as they enjoyed this small victory. Though they had yet to catch Netanel, the fact that the curse on so many girls was broken gave the silver haired knight some relief, as well as hope that the wicked mage would be caught soon as well. Combined with the fact that he felt he managed to keep from telling Fang and Ricky about his secret engagement, he was also relieved that his sister would be safe for now as well, from Marik's own curse.  
  
_'Just two more days.'_ Pierre thought to himself,  _'If I can get through the rest of today, and tomorrow. Then Marik's curse will be broken, and I'll be able to explain about my own situation with Renee, even if our engagement turns out to be temporary.'_  
  
Though, looking at the white haired and golden eyed Faerie next to him, he did smile as he hoped that if things worked out, he could do his best to be not just a good lover for her when she was ready, but also be a better husband than Netanel had been to her. In fact, as he thought about it, he noted that he really did like Renee despite her faults, and even if she didn't have her monstrous arm or even looked more like a Hell Hound than a faerie, as long as she had her personality, he'd most likely love her anyway. While the man he resembled on another world that he was not aware of was a flirt, Pierre Polheffer was an honorable man, not willing to flirt around with a girl because of her looks. In fact, he did not even try to get lucky as his friend Kenneth Little had done and focused on his studies to become a Knight. Sure, it caused some girls who had crushed on him in his academy days to mistake him for being the kind of man who'd rather love another man than a woman, but he didn't care. Instead, Pierre simply rejected them politely before he had explained to them why he wasn't interested in finding a lover at the time- he wished to focus on becoming a knight, to achieve his dream, before finding love with a nice girl who wasn't a constant damsel in distress or afraid of hard work like most of the girls that crushed on him had been.  
  
In the end, Love had found him after he achieved his goal, becoming a knight in his hometown and getting to know Renee after his accidental rescue of her. As he realized his feelings for her though, he squeezed the monstrous hand he held with his own normal one and gave her a smile as she looked at him. Of course, he did remember that a lot could happen in a couple of days, but still held out hope that maybe she returned his feelings as well. If she decided things wouldn't work out between them, he decided it would be best not to try and pursue her further, and simply see her as a friend, just to give her hope that not all men were like Netanel, and couldn't handle rejection very well.  
  
  
When they reached the exit to the Well, Pierre saw that Fang and Ricky were waiting for them, apparently waiting for the other to get on the rope first. However, as they merely glared at each other in silence, Pierre sighed and decided to start climbing up the rope instead.  
  
The moment he tugged on the rope to make sure it was secured though, something unexpected happened. He heard the sound of a blade scraping against stone, followed by the sword falling into the well and the crystalline, unicorn themed blade clattering at his feet like it was made of the strongest of steel. As he picked it up though, there wasn't a single scratch on the blade, and it looked as sharp as it was the day it had been forged as it shone in the sunlight overhead. Though, judging from the voices of confusion he heard overhead, followed by the people looking into the well to see him holding the blade, the people of Unicorn's Blade were just as surprised as he was that it was finally free from the stone.  
  
"I'm.... I'm worthy?" Pierre said to himself in surprise as he looked down at the sword, and notices the sapphire eyes of the unicorn head-shaped pommel glow as he held it in hand. "But, why now? I've tried multiple times to pull the sword from the stone and failed! Why does it deem me worthy now?"  
  
"Think about it later, Sir Polheffer," Ricky then said as he adjusted his hat, "I've got a friend to check on, so we need to get out of here, ok?"  
  
"Right." Pierre said, looking towards both Renee and Fang, "Do you two think you can fly us out of here?"  
  
"Yeah." Renee said as she raised her monstrous arm and let the chain wrapped around it seemingly spring to life as it wrapped itself around Pierre's torso and waist, "Fang, you get Ricky, I'll handle Pierre."  
  
"Alright, alright..." Fang said as he sighed and activated his armor as the White Rose Knight, before picking Ricky Lupo up in a basket carry. "Just so you know, I don't enjoy this."  
  
"Feeling's mutual, Sir Fale," Ricky said before the lion rose into the air and flew out of the well, followed by Pierre and Renee. Once they were back on solid ground, Fang happily dropped Fang on his behind, which earned him a growl from the wolf as he got up and punched the lion in the arm, while Renee set Pierre gently on the ground before landing next to him, and released him from her chain.  
  
"He... he actually did it." One of the towns people then said as he pointed to Pierre with the Unicorn's Blade in hand, "Pierre actually claimed the sword for himself!"  
  
"It only took what, 68 tries?" someone else said flatly.  
  
"Actually it was 79 according to my records," said the town bookkeeper, who made it a hobby of keeping track of who attempted to claim the sword and how often they did so. "Well, I guess 80 now. But, with the sword removed, I'm going to need to find a new thing to keep track of."  
  
As the people of Unicorn's Blade started chatting amongst themselves as well as congratulating Pierre upon becoming the heir of their town's original hero, Renee simply watched in silence and smiled. She knew why Pierre became worthy to wield the blade, and as the sapphires on the sword's pommel glowed gently, she hoped he would figure it out too eventually. In fact, as she thought back to the one she made the blade for originally, she remembered just what motivated her to forge it in the first place. It wasn't his determination to save his town, or really because he held up his end of the deal to help around her home for three days. It was because he was a lot like Pierre, a good man who treated her kindly and didn't care that she was a blacksmith or part Hell Hound. He just thought of her as a person, and nothing more. It was that way of thinking that farm boy had that caused Renee to develop feelings for him, and even though he fell for another girl, and that girl fell for him in return, Renee didn't mind in the end. Yes, it was painful for her at first, but she moved on and respected his decision to marry the daughter of that backstabbing Lord who once ruled the area. Of course, the fact he kept using the sword to protect the town and refusing to use another weapon, even when he was disarmed by that black knight that rode upon a dragon did make her wonder why he didn't get another blade to maintain his reputation as a guardian, she later found out that it was because he still respected her, and believed that to use a different weapon would have offended her.  
  
That sentiment, of course, was touching then, but when he vowed that no one would be able to draw that blade unless her heart approved of them, she was surprised the sword had actually refused to be drawn by anyone for the following two and a half centuries, she did wonder if his vow held some magic that neither of them was aware of.  
  
Now though, as she watched as Pierre humbly accepted the praise, Renee found herself caught off guard as tears rolled down her cheeks, causing her to raise her monstrous hand to wipe them away gently before she stared in surprise at the tears on her claw. She hadn't expected to cry as she remembered her friend, but as she looked back at Pierre, she couldn't help but feel happy that he managed to become worthy of the blade she forged to save the town, and honestly was unable to imagine anyone else with the blade.  
  
_'Jean, it seems your wish came true.'_  Renee then thought to herself,  _'I found someone I could approve with all my heart, and this time... I'll make sure he has the armor you should have had when that black knight came to town. After all, a gift made with love is more powerful than anything a wizard could throw at someone.'_

**********

In the basement of Tyler's Tower, Jotaro Kujo, Carmen Wood, and Alphonse the Alphyn had discovered a tunnel leading into a cavern. As the basement was empty and the blood trail continued down the tunnel, they decided then to follow the tunnel to see where it led. Of course, as they also had no idea what to expect, they also prepared for any fights with Jotaro bringing out Star Platinum, and Carmen raising an arm and letting the sword she had hidden in her thigh go through her body and out her hand, before she held it by the handle and lowered her arm.  
  
"Doesn't that hurt?" Jotaro then asked after he watched Carmen bring out her sword.  
  
"Nah," Carmen said, "Shapeshifters don't really feel pain when they alter their bodies, unlike Werebeasts. I think it may be because of how we just... turn off any feelings of pain we get on instinct or something."  
  
"Werebeasts?" Jotaro asked as he raised an eyebrow, "Like, werewolves?"  
  
"They're the most common of them, yeah." Carmen said, "Took down quite a few of them as Koriander. Lions, eagles, tigers, bears, and of course wolves. There's a rumor though that sometimes, a person may get unlucky enough to get two curses at once and become chimaeric. However, the body won't be able to take the strain and so, they will burn out and die after a month... with one exception anyway."  
  
"What's the exception?" Jotaro then asked as he kept an eye out for trouble.  
  
"From what I heard? A couple of years ago a Baroness in clawthorn got turned into a weregriffin, but a shapeshifter supposedly implanted a stabilizer in her neck to keep her alive past that first month." Carmen then said, "I don't know if it's true though, kind of avoided the Stone Hill Barony since they do produce medicine for the rest of the continent, and I didn't want to cause a crisis by killing one of the people who knew how to turn Phoenix Blossoms into wine and medicine."  
  
Jotaro said nothing then, realizing that even if Koriander the Slayer was infamous, the fact that she had apparently avoided taking jobs in that part of the world did mean that even if she was evil, she did have some standards. Probably more than DIO did, if he was in this world as himself, especially if the vampire felt that depriving a whole continent of medicine was a good idea. Of course, while he was curious about Phoenix Blossoms, he figured he'd ask Pietro about it later since now was not the time to get distracted with random conversation.  
  
  
"Geez, this reminds me of that time I had to take down a necromancer in the Spherean Bayou," Carmen said a little later, especially as all three members of the group could smell blood and rotting meat. "Though, hopefully, we won't have to deal with any undead. Do you have any idea how much of a pain in the ass it is to take down a horde of zombies with just a mallet? After that job, I had to spend weeks cleaning rotted brain matter off my gear because let me tell you, that gunk is harder to actually clean off than blood."  
  
"Could have been worse," Jotaro said, "You could have been dealing with a time stopping vampire that stole your great, great grandpa's body."  
  
"What's a vampire?" Carmen then asked as she stopped and turned to look up at the taller seventeen-year-old.  
  
"Undead monsters that suck the blood of people to survive, but can be destroyed by sunlight." Jotaro said, "You don't have those here?"  
  
"Nope." Carmen said, "At least, I've never seen any. I won't ask about the time stopping thing but, did he steal that body with possession or something else?"  
  
"From what I can tell, he cut off the head and let his own take its place." Jotaro then said with a shrug as he started moving again.  
  
"Glad you beat the crap out of him then." Carmen said as she followed along, "Must have been a hell of a fight, though."  
  
"Don't think I'll have anything worse than that," Jotaro said, before becoming quiet again as the stench became stronger. As he continued walking though, the tunnel became darker and also harder to see in until Carmen decided to pull out a small bottle out of her apron, and tapped it a couple of times to produce a soft light. While Jotaro did appreciate it, he didn't show it on his face as he instead focused on what he had almost tripped over.  
  
"A leg?" Jotaro said, looking at what seemed to be a large limb from some sort of animal- a canine of some kind from what he could see based on the foot, but he wasn't exactly sure what could have a paw that was as big as his hand.  
  
"Let's keep moving." Carmen said, "If there's a leg, then whatever lost it may be close by."  
  
Jotaro then nodded and kept moving, stepping over the leg as the smell of death grew stronger still. As it started getting close to making him gag though, he soon found the source.  
  
  
Resting against the wall of the tunnel were two large corpses of monsters that looked like a pair of two-headed wolves covered in black fur. Their bodies were covered in claw marks and one was missing a leg, while nearby the two corpses were what looked like an ordinary wolf and a bear that had been mutilated. However, as Alphonse growled, both Jotaro and Carmen soon saw the two animals actually begin to twitch and heal themselves while the larger monsters remained the same. However, neither of the apparent victors seemed willing to attack just yet, or even seemed to notice the three guests, and were instead focused on the belly of one of the beasts as it moved like something was inside it.  
  
Then, a bony claw thrust out of the corpse, before being covered by muscle, skin and brown fur as a rabbit crawled out, and flopped down onto the floor as it panted for air. Of course, while the three animals were busy, Jotaro and Carmen took a moment to move on, while deciding to ask Tyler- if he was still alive judging by the still continuing trail of blood leading the way further into the tunnel, just what he did to his pets to make them be apparently unkillable.  
  
Unfortunately, the wolf then got in their way and growled, its eyes closed as it sniffed the air and to their surprise, spoke.  
  
"I... I won't let you near Master Tyler while he heals, intruders!" the wolf then said, preparing to attack before being tackled by Alphonse. As Alphyn and wolf started battling for dominance, Alphonse then raised his head and jerked in a way to signal to Jotaro and Carmen to go on without him, before letting loose a fireball at the bear before it could try and strike him as well. Deciding that the draconic wolf most likely had things handled, the two then ran ahead down the tunnel, flashes of flames going off behind them as they heard growls, screams, and howls from the battle.  
  
"Think he'll be okay?" Carmen said as she ran.  
  
"He's a smart Alphyn," Jotaro said, "I'm sure he'll be fine."  
  
"Fair enough," Carmen said with a nod, and the two fell silent as they moved down the tunnel, while the sounds of Alphonse's own battle grew fainter with every step.  
  
  
After a few minutes, they were met with a cavern chamber lit by sunlight coming through a hole in the ceiling. As Carmen tapped the glowing bottle again to turn it off, they noticed that there was a spring at the very back, while standing in the sunlight right at the edge of the water was Tyler Williamson, his gaudy robe torn to shreds and exposing a surprisingly toned upper body covered in scars, while some wounds on his body were rapidly healing. At his hip, was a very ornate crossbow made of mahogany and decorated with golden leaves, as well as a quiver full of iron bolts. However, what really grabbed their attention was the fact that while Tyler's back was turned towards them, there was also something incredibly wrong as he mumbled to himself.  
  
That was the fact that he was holding his head above his neck, and trying to adjust it back onto his shoulders as he used the spring as a mirror.  
  
"Can't believe I got decapitated again," he said to himself while still paying no attention to his unexpected guests. "And that Karas bastard sending in those Orthri to do it! I swear, if I ever see him again, I'm going to use him for target practice!"  
  
As Tyler then began to rant away, Carmen and Jotaro's shock wore off as they both exchanged annoyed looks with each other. In fact, the teen then decided to whistle, causing Tyler to flinch just as his head rejoined his body and revealed an old scar that went around his neck as the skin completely healed. The black haired mage then sighed as he turned around, his maroon eyes looking annoyed and tired as he looked at Carmen and Jotaro, and spoke.  
  
"Of course this gets worse." he then said sarcastically as he threw his hands up in the air, before using one to rub his forehead, "Well, I figured my secret would come out sooner or later, so may as well re-introduce myself! Hi, I'm Tyler Williamson,  _and I can't fucking die!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the Gorillaz' song, Starshine.
> 
> So... my laptop was not repaired and is now declared Fubar'd. The hard drive, however, still works so maybe the files can be salvaged.
> 
> Anywho, not much to say about this chapter so... Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune!
> 
> "Once upon a time, there were two brothers..."


	21. Who Wants to Live Forever?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica and Kakyoin have a surprise encounter in the dream world. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Jotaro gets a few surprises of his own from Tyler Williamson...

In the Dream Palace of Ethereas Ghostwing, also known as Noriyaki Kakyoin, Veronica Zeppeli was in the garden with the stand user turned faerie prince, walking among the various roses, irises, hydrangeas, and even a cherry tree or two as the two talked. Of course, while she had called him Ethereas so far, as the faerie's twin sets of memories slowly sorted themselves out, he had requested she call him Kakyoin, though there was a bit of trouble as Veronica unknowingly realized she had an accent.  
  
"Kah-kee-yo-win." the silver-haired girl said for the umpteenth time, while the pink haired young man simply chuckled, "Hey, what's so funny?"  
  
"You're getting better, but.... why do you say it like that?" he asked her with a smile, the mask he wore having broken away enough to show his mouth. "Honestly, Veronica... just where are you from to have "coin" sound a little like "corn" combined with "Coen?" It's a little silly..."  
  
"Mississippi," Veronica said, causing Kakyoing to blink in surprise.  
  
"What part? I mean, I've never been there, but I've been to Memphis once when I was 5 and living on Earth." Kakyoin said as he crossed his arms.  
  
"Memphis is in Tennessee, not Mississippi, and my hometown is called Arkabutla," Veronica said, which caused the pink haired teen to look at her in confusion. "Yeah, I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it, it's a pretty small town, and there really isn't that much to do, besides visiting the lake, but since my family lived on the outskirts of town, it was a bit of a drive."  
  
"How long of one?" Kakyoin then asked while Veronica smiled a bit as she remembered her home.  
  
"If we were lucky, twenty minutes. But, if the weather was bad? It'd take thirty at least." she then said before she chuckled and remembered something, "My best friends, Pat and Bonnie lived in another town, and Bonnie would always complain whenever I wanted to go to the lake to enjoy the scenery."  
  
"And why would she do that?" Kakyoin then asked while Veronica ran a hand through her hair.  
  
"I guess city girls just aren't that fond of bugs and nature." Veronica said, "At least, Bonnie wasn't. Pat seemed to get a bit uncomfortable around bug bites though, not sure why."  
  
"Well--" Kakyoin began to say before he stopped and looked around as his face took on a more serious expression. "There's an intruder."  
  
"What?" Veronica said, as she watched Kakyoin reach into a nearby rose bush and draw a sword from it. "Do you think it might be Jotaro again?"  
  
"No..." Kakyoin said, closing his eyes to most likely see through those of his stand, "This intruder seems familiar, but-"  
  
Before he could finish, Hierophant Green then flew towards his user, causing Kakyoin to dodge as the stand hit the ground, before seeing just who or what threw the thing. To their surprise though, both Faerie and human would see a man that looked only a little older than them with messy red hair that looked like a lion's mane, the wings of a bat and a scorpion's tail. However, what Veronica noted immediately was that he seemed to have been in a fight, though the way his eyes glowed an eerie bluish gray had her on edge as he directed his gaze at Kakyoin.  
  
"Who are you?" Kakyoin asked as he stared back at the scorpion-tailed stranger who had arrived in his dream domain and had also beaten his stand as it twitched on the ground with its mask broken- though why the faerie prince and Stardust Crusader didn't feel his stand's pain was concerning. However, before getting an answer, the stranger instead punched the pink haired young man in the chest, knocking him back into Veronica's arms before he spoke up.  
  
_"Where the hell have you been, Ethereas!?_  You vanish off the face of Fanterra years ago and now that you show up again, not only do you get your body put to sleep in Appledale but you never even let us know you came back!" the stranger said, his mouth containing what looked liked three rows of teeth as he then added, "And now you don't even recognize me!?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure I'd remember someone with such a stupid looking haircut..." Kakyoin then said once he caught his breath and stood, while also standing protectively next to Veronica. As for the stranger, as his messed up, short, lion-like mane of hair was insulted, he paused in shock, before growling and giving the mother of all death glares to the rose-winged faerie prince.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY HAIR!?" he then shouted with a trumpeting roar and pounced onto Kakyoin as Veronica got out of the way, intending to beat the other faerie to a pulp.  
  
Or would have, had Veronica not used Hamon in the dream world to control the vines in the garden to restrain both of them. In fact, as both Kakyoin and the stranger struggled against the vines, once they saw the annoyed look on Veronica's face, they stopped and pouted like children.  
  
"Veronica, did you really have to restrain me too?" Kakyoin then asked, "This is kind of embarrassing."  
  
"Well, I had to make sure neither of you killed each other, so yeah, I kind of did, Kakyoin!" Veronica said a bit irritably only for the stranger to speak up again.  
  
"What kind of name is 'Ka-Key-Oh-In?' Ethereas, what is going on with you!?" the redhead then asked, while Kakyoin blinked in confusion as Veronica explained.  
  
"Listen, I don't know who you are, but you seem to know my friend's past life, so I think you need to know that Ethereas here is having memory issues," Veronica said, "So, why don't you calm the fuck down and explain who you are, and maybe we can just settle this without trying to kill each other!"  
  
"Fine, just stop glaring at me like that! It's creepy how much you resemble my mother, ok?" the stranger said as he looked away in annoyance, before clearing his throat while the vines set him down on the ground. "My name is Marik Zavriel, I entered this dream to see if Ethereas was truly back in Fanterra after hearing he was from a... friend of the family as well as Ricky Lupo."  
  
"Marik?" Kakyoin then said, blinking in surprise, "Wow, you've really grown up since I last saw you. How are Marduk, Arachne, and the twins?"  
  
"Wait, what about Arachne?" Veronica asked, only for Marik to ignore her as he answered.  
  
"Arachne moved out to live on her own some time ago, while Oceana and Roy are living in the lake next to the house." Marik said, "Also, Mother has been busy, as I now have a total of 37 half-siblings."  
  
"Th...THIRTY-SEVEN!?" both Kakyoin and Veronica said before Kakyoin added. "Still, you didn't say anything about Marduk... did something happen to him?"  
  
"Ethereas," Marik then said in concern, "Marduk vanished around the same time you did. While you were in Bowie's clutches, Marduk... Marduk never showed up in that goblin's lair with his kidnapper, Chance Mat. Mother has been spending every waking moment between pregnancies and lovers trying to find him!"  
  
"Bowie? Chance Mat?" Kakyoin said as he furrowed his brow, "Who are they again? And if it's been seventeen years, I'm sure Marduk will turn up... right?  
  
Marik's eyes widened at Kakyoin's statement, a bit concerned about the memory loss, but also running a hand through his hair as he spoke. "Ethereas.... you've been gone for 1,247 years."  
  
"1,247..." Kakyoin said while Veronica grabbed his hand with her own, "No... No that can't be. I was on Earth, Veronica's world, long enough to turn seventeen and... and die. There's no way that much time passed in Fanterra..."  
  
"Maybe time flows differently between worlds?" Veronica said, which earned her a pair of curious looks from Kakyoin and Marik, "Well, in a book series I read back home, the main characters could travel through dimensions, and time worked differently with each world they visited. So, I figured that might be the case here?"  
  
Both young men were silent for a moment before they shrugged in silent agreement about the theory being better than nothing before Kakyoin decided to move on to another subject.  
  
"In any case, how did you get here Marik? More importantly, why are you here?"  
  
"How I got here is hitching a ride onto Veronica's dream to enter this world via magic." Marik said, "As for why...  _an old friend of the family_  told me that your body is in Appledale, Ethereas and that they wished to speak to Veronica... once her curse has been lifted and she recovered, of course."  
  
"Why would they want to see me?" Veronica asked, though before Marik could answer, she cringed as she felt a sharp pain on her shoulder, before pulling her shirt away to show the curse mark glowing white hot before it burned away. Then, the world began to fade as she began waking up along with Marik, the world around her going completely dark before she opened her eyes and saw her room at the Laughing Raven inn. Around her, she saw Wamu, Arachne with a sketchbook and finally Marik himself- his hair no longer a mess and now spiked upward into resembling a short, red lion's mane.  
  
"Well, looks like the curse is broken, so I guess, that Knight isn't so useless after all," Marik said with a shrug, while Veronica couldn't help but feel that in the waking world, this guy seemed to be a prick.  
  
"You don't seem so happy about it," Veronica said quietly, though the manticore fae frowned as Arachne did her best not to laugh and Wamu merely watched in interest.  
  
"I'm  _never happy_." Marik then said coldly, while Arachne merely giggled as if that was a lie. Though, Veronica decided not to push it, especially as she felt that if she did, she might end up getting hit with that stinger the manticore fae had.  
  
On the bright side, she at least had a good feeling her friend Ricky would be happy to see her back to normal at least.

~0~

_"Well, I figured my secret would come out sooner or later, so may as well re-introduce myself! Hi, I'm Tyler Williamson, and I can't fucking die!"_  
  
Tyler's bitter sounding words were enough to catch Jotaro off guard as he looked at the formerly headless man, while Carmen cursed under her breath. Though, the teen couldn't help but feel there was something off about all this, a fairy tale he vaguely remembered his mother reading to him that just didn't stick as well as other stories.  
  
"Just what the hell is going on, asshole?" Jotaro then said, "What do you mean you can't die?"  
  
As Tyler locked eyes with Jotaro, the magician's eyes widened in terror before he spoke up.  
  
"Oh gods, you're still stuck. You broke my curse, and you somehow didn't learn a damn thing!"  
  
"What do you mean by stuck?" Jotaro then asked with a hint of irritation in his voice, "And how is making me unable to do squat when I need to supposed to teach me anything?"  
  
"You... You... YOU GODS-DAMNED  _IDIOT!"_  Tyler shouted, "You think you're hot stuff because you dine and dash on crappy food, punch up asshole teachers so they go into the hospital or quit their jobs, and call your mother a fucking bitch!? Only an idiot or A-grade  _asshole_  would insult his loving and caring mother after she spent years dealing with someone like you! Seriously, your mother seems to deserve Sainthood after putting up with your crap! So what if your father hasn't been around for a while!? Mine dumped me out into the woods due to my asshole of an uncle, and I'm over that now! Hell, you think your buddy, Kakyoin, or your grandpa or even that Avdol guy didn't have it worse?! Not to mention that Polnareff fellow seemed  _sooooo_  much more interesting than you cause he actually had something to fight for, and a  _reason_ to act as he did! But you? You're just a dick to everyone! Even if you show a glimmer of hope or a glint of kindness, it doesn't do squat to redeem yourself all because you act like you don't give a shit! Honestly, it seems that you're trying to seem strong and manly by having fewer emotions than  _a rock,_  but in reality? You're nothing more than a 17-year-old boy playing pretend."  
  
Jotaro glared at Tyler, summoning forth Star Platinum while preparing to attack once Tyler finished his analysis of the teen. For now, though, he'd just remain silent since acting now would most likely get him in trouble. Again.  
  
"From what I can tell, kid?" Tyler then said, "You seem to think everyone can read your emotions, but guess what?  _They can't._  In fact, if you keep this up, you're going to drive everyone away,  _including_  your future wife and daughter, and even when you try and reconcile? It's going to end up killing you and your kid. Do you  _really_  want that!?"  
  
"Oh, so you can see the future?" Jotaro then said with a slight smirk, "From where I'm standing, all I can see is your ass getting kicked!"  
  
"Yeah, hate to break up the potential beatdown here, but Jotaro, don't you think that bit of foresight is a pretty damn specific?" Carmen said, her sword pointed at the mage for now, "So then asshole, spill it. How do you know what'll happen, anyway?"  
  
"You can blame my fucking bastard of a twin brother, Tyler Daniel Williamson for that." Tyler said, before pointing a hand towards the water, and bringing a bubble out of spring as he glowed with power,  _"From the waters of the past I wish to view, it is time to tell my tale anew."_  
  
"Oh, gods no..." Carmen said with a groan as Tyler used his free hand to conjure up some chairs for his impromptu audience, "Is he seriously doing this?"  
  
"Telling his story as an excuse? Yeah, looks like it." Jotaro said as he sat down, only for a bag of donuts to appear in his hand courtesy of Star Platinum. "Donut? It may be a while."  
  
"Yeah, no thanks." Carmen said, "Also, stop doing that... 'pull shit out of thin air' thing, it's creepy."  
  
Jotaro merely shrugged, only for Tyler to glare at them both as glared and began his story, while the bubble showed two young boys with black hair and maroon eyes.  
  
"Once upon a time, as all stories tend to start off, there were two brothers." Tyler began, and so told his story.

***********

Two hundred and seventy-five years ago, Tyler Steel Williamson and his brother, Terry Daniel Williamson were born to their father, a poor farmer named Truman who also made brooms to get by once his wife died. Of course, their father was a twin himself, his own brother being a man named Gaines, who was a goldsmith. However, while Truman was a good and honest man, Gaines was a lying cheat, but as time went on, Gaines would allow his twin nephews to have his scraps when Truman started struggling to keep his boys fed while going hungry himself.  
  
It was a rough life, and while Terry hated it, Tyler was happy living a humble life with his father and brother.  
  
One day, however, when the twins were ten, their father came home with a smile on his face, as while he had brought home a large basket of rushes for broom making, he also had made a discovery- a large golden bird out in the woods. However, tried as he may have to strike it down with a stone, all he had gotten from the encounter were three golden feathers- two of which he gave to his sons, while the third he felt he could show to the twins uncle, and get his appraisal once he arrived a few moments later.  
  
"So," said Gaines, as the boys had gone off to their room to compare their gifts from their father, but also listen in on their conversation between the two raven-haired men. "What is it you found this time, Truman? Another rock that looks like a human heart?"  
  
"Actually Gaines," said Truman, "I found something even better!"  
  
As Gaines got a look at the golden feather though, his eyes widened as he squeaked in surprise, the heavy feather having a surprising weight for something so small and thin.  
  
"Th-That is real gold!" Gaines then shouted, "Listen, I can make some nice things with this, so how about you trade it to me, and I'll give you oh... twenty gold coins for it?"  
  
"T-Twenty!?" Truman had said in shock before a big smile appeared on his face, "Oh, thank you, Gaines! I appreciate it, maybe I'll be able to buy some meat for dinner tonight!"  
  
"Yes, yes, that's nice," Gaines said though the hidden twins both knew from his expression that meant one less night of them begging for his scraps when they visited. He wasn't the nicest man in the world, but he was still family.  
  
  
Over the next few days, the twins had seen a small change in their father's luck, starting with him discovering the bird's nest of golden eggs, and grabbed two to give to his brother while the rest he left to the birds, followed by the good man managing to finally capture the golden bird itself while leaving it's mate alone to raise their remaining chicks. Both times, their uncle had exchanged money for their father's discovery, but while their father was out buying groceries with the latest payment of 1,000 gold coins, the twins decided to go to their uncles to see what they could scrounge up for lunch.  
  
It was there in the kitchens, they found a bird being roasted on a spit before they saw something fall off of it and into the dripping pan below. Of course, with how wonderful it smelled, both boys mouths watered as Terry spoke.  
  
"Hey, I think we can have those!" he said to his twin, "I don't think anyone will miss those two little pieces, and I'm starving, ya know?"  
  
"I... I guess..." Tyler then said, "Just be careful not to get burnt, ok?"  
  
"Geeze, I'm not an idiot, Tyler?" Terry said, putting on gloves near the fireplace and grabbing the two pieces- the bird's liver and heart, and handed the latter to Tyler before devouring the liver he kept for himself.  
  
Once they had finished, they were about to leave, when their aunt's voice hit their ears.  
  
"What... What have you two been eating!?" she said to them, causing both boys to jump as they realized they were caught.  
  
"Only two pieces that fell from the bird!" Tyler then said, which earned him a dark look from his brother as well as causing their aunt Jenny to turn pale.  
  
"Oh no, they must have been the heart and liver from that bird!" she said, before looking around before kneeling down a bit to get eye level with the boys. "Listen, you two run on home with a loaf of bread, I'll find a way to cover this up. I don't want you two to get in trouble with your uncle over this, alright?"  
  
"Alright, Aunt Jenny," Both boys said as both boys took a fresh loaf of bread off the counter, what their aunt usually set aside for them when they visited and ran home. Though, as Tyler looked back, he did see his aunt quickly kill a chicken and used it's heart and liver to replace what was taken by them. Tyler knew though, that their uncle was a rather cruel man, and worried about his aunt constantly, but as they were only ten, they really couldn't do anything to help her. Not to mention that Terry seemed to ignore their uncle's cruelty for some reason.  
  
Little did either of them know, however, was that their luck was about to change.  
  
  
The following morning, the brothers had gotten out of bed when something hit the floor and rolled to their feet. As they picked it up though, they each had found a golden coin had appeared out of thin air. So, they decided to do the smart thing and show them to their father once they were dressed, the feathers he had given them both hidden under their shirts. Of course, as the man was just as clueless as his sons about where they came from when he examined the coins, he voiced what they all were thinking.  
  
"What can this mean?"  
  
  
Later that day, the twins uncle had arrived, in a sour mood until Truman had told them about what the two boys had found this morning. As the boys were there eating lunch with their father, both of them saw their uncle's face go from a cold glare pointed towards them, before a sly smile appeared on his lips, as he seemed to realize the truth of the matter. However, as Tyler noticed further as the man spoke, he did not seem to want to share the truth of the matter with his brother.  
  
"Truman, I fear the worst," he said, causing his brother to become worried.  
  
"Wh-what do you mean, Gaines?"  
  
"Truman, I'm sorry but..." Gaines then said rather sadly, before adding bluntly, "Your sons are in league with a devil."  
  
"What!?" Truman said at the same time as his sons, all three standing as they slammed their hands on the table.  
  
"I mean, what other explanation is there? Gold appearing out of nowhere? Now, Truman, you must not touch the gold, for it is cursed- and on no account should you allow your boys to remain under your roof any longer, for whichever devil is allowing this to happen  _must_  have power over them, and could bring ruin upon you through them. So... I advise you go on and get rid of them now instead of later."  
  
"You bastard!" Terry snapped, while Tyler was heartbroken over this betrayal. In fact, as their father sadly gave them both a loaf of bread and led them out into the woods with their eyes covered so they wouldn't find their way home, all Tyler could think about was how their uncle could do this to them without any remorse. In fact, when the blindfolds were removed and their father left them alone, Tyler wouldn't snap out of it until Terry had punched him before they ran around in the woods in worry to try and find their way home. Sadly, they could not and only got even more lost than before, until they found a hunter in the woods.  
  
  
Or rather, he had found them when he stepped out of the bushes, garbed in green as he looked in surprise at the two young boys.  
  
"Well, I was expecting young boars with all this noise," he said as he rested his spear on his shoulders, "Not a couple of children. Whose sons are you?"  
  
"Truman Williamson, the broom maker, and farmer." Said Tyler, "But, because we had gold coins roll out from under our pillows this morning, our uncle said we were in league with a devil, our father won't keep us any longer."  
  
"That... That is not a bad thing..." the hunter said, before he laughed a bit, "Well, tell you what, if you're telling me the truth, I'll take you in, if you'd rather not go home."  
  
"What's the point in going home, anyway?" said Terry, "Our father was duped by our bastard of an uncle, so why should we forgive him!?"  
  
"But... But, Terry..." Tyler said with uncertainty, only for his younger twin to cut him off.  
  
"But, nothing!" Terry snapped, "Our dad ditched us! So let's stay with the hunter, he at least knows we're not in league with a demon!"  
  
"O...Ok..." Tyler said while the hunter in green looked worried towards the boys, especially young Tyler.  
  
  
In the years that followed though, the brothers were adopted by the hunter Barbarus Finch, and the brothers took on his name for their own. They proved the story they told him to be true, as they had coin after coin show up under their pillows, and so Barbarus decided to save the coins up for their own education in the world, as well as personally taught them to hunt with spears, swords, and crossbows. After he deemed them ready after ten long years, he then gave each of them a knife and a crossbow gilt with gold leaves for Tyler and silver ones for Terry, before he happily granted their request to go out into the world and travel. Though leaving their foster father was indeed a sad occasion, they knew it would have happened sooner or later.  
  
However, as they began their travels, Terry had thrown away the golden feather he gained from their true father, while Tyler kept his own around his neck as a keepsake and reminder of what kind of man their father really was, instead of the traitor Terry now viewed him as. Tyler, however, said nothing and decided to just stay close to his brother for as long as possible, and keep him a good man instead of turning out like their uncle had- a cruel and heartless liar.  
  
Eventually, the pair would gain talking animals of their own to help them hunt, each gaining a lion, a bear, a wolf, a fox and a rabbit. While they both trained them to aid them in their hunts, with the rabbit acting as a lure for predatory animals, while the rest helped take down tougher foes, Tyler had shown his pets care and love, while Terry started abusing his own to keep them in line. Eventually, their differences meant they had to part ways after three years, and so once they reached a great tree at a crossroads, did so. However, they also stuck their knives into the trunk, with one facing east and the other west, so that if fate would ever bring one of them back there, they would see if the other needed help. After all, as their foster father had explained to them, the blades were enchanted to show rust only when one of them was dead, or in trouble, otherwise, the blade would remain bright and also stay in place until one of them came to reclaim the knives.  
  
  
While Terry would have his own adventure, now that he was on his own, Tyler decided the time had come to pay his true father a visit and so headed west while his brother went east. The road was long but peaceful, and with the help of his beasts Aurelio the lion, Bon Jovi the bear, Steppen the wolf, McCloud the fox and Sinatra the rabbit, he was able to keep himself fed while the bird's magical heart he ate so long ago kept him from going broke.  
  
Eventually, he reached his hometown of Gol and was unsurprised that things had changed since he was a kid. Unfamiliar faces had moved in, while those he knew had changed enough they were vaguely recognizable to him. However, as he walked, the locals seemed to notice he moved through the town as he knew the place as well as they did, though none could seem to recall if they ever had such a huntsman before.  
  
"Excuse me, sir?" a young woman then said, stopping Tyler in his tracks as he looked at her, "Have... we met before? You seem quite familiar."  
  
"Er... no, I don't think we have." Tyler lied, "My name is Steel Finch, and I'm only passing through. Though, I could use a new broom to sweep clean my cabin in the woods, do you know where I can find a man named Truman Williamson? A colleague of mine told me he was an excellent broom binder."  
  
"Truman?" the young woman said, "Oh... he died years ago, and we haven't had a broom bound here in a long time."  
  
"Oh?" Tyler then said, doing his best to hide his sadness as his pets moved closer for some silent comfort, "What was the cause? And had he no children to take over for him? Or an apprentice?"  
  
"No, I'm afraid not." the young woman said as she shifted the basket of flowers on her arm, "They say his sons were put under a demon's power, and he was forced to abandon them in the woods. He died of a broken heart soon after, when he seemed to believe them dead."  
  
"I... see." Tyler said, "Do you know where he was buried, or if he has any family at all left?"  
  
"I do." the woman said, "Though, as for his family, his brother Gaines is still alive, and lives in the mansion on the edge of town. I wouldn't advise visiting him, however."  
  
"And why not?" Tyler then asked, causing the woman to look uneasy as she glanced around before whispering.  
  
"They say he's gone mad since his wife died, and occasionally leaves for the woods to look for two golden birds that torment him."  
  
"I see, that's quite sad to hear." Tyler said, "Miss.... will you show me to Truman's grave? I'd like to pay my respects out of courtesy."  
  
"Oh, of course." The woman said, "And my name is Emma by the way, I hope you enjoy your time in Gol."  
  
"I'm sure I will, Miss Emma." Tyler said with a smile, "And don't worry about any trouble, my friends and I will be sure to protect you."  
  
"Oh, thank you very much, Mister Finch!" Emma then said before she began leading him to the town cemetery.  
  
  
It only took an hour to reach it, but as they walked and chatted, it seemed that no time at all had passed, with Tyler learning that Emma was once an old playmate of his and Terry's, though she ended up marrying someone else. However, while she admitted a crush on him as children, he decided not to ruin her marriage by revealing the truth, and simply thanked her with a few gold coins before paying his respects in private.  
  
"Hello Father," he said to the grave, "It's me, Tyler, and.... and I know you missed me and Terry greatly, but, we're alive and well. I... I learned long ago that Gaines lied to you, because of a bird's heart and liver that Terry and I ate as children were what caused the gold to appear, not a demon. I wouldn't be surprised if it was payback for our unintentional interference in his plan to get richer, but... I still believe that he shouldn't have torn our family apart. Anyway, Terry and I found a stepfather while in the woods, a man named Barbarus Finch who taught us to hunt, and then we traveled for a bit, gaining allies in the form of a pair each of lions, bears, wolves, foxes, and rabbits. Though we split ways recently, and we took half of each pair. I'm not sure how Terry is getting along without me, but I wouldn't be surprised if he got himself into trouble by now. We... We both know how Terry seems to always find a way to get into it, and out of it as well when I can't help. Sadly, he won't forgive you, but... I will, father. I knew that it wasn't your wish to abandon us, but you felt you had no choice because of your brother's trick, and..."  
  
Tyler then stopped as he looked sadly at the grave, his pets moving a little closer to him as he felt tears start to run down his cheeks. Placing a hand on his breaking heart and rubbing his chest, Tyler then continued quietly to his father's grave.  
  
"...and, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I chose not to come back earlier to make amends. I'm sorry I couldn't fight back or argue against my uncle's lies. And... and most of all, I'm sorry I ever ate that bird's heart. If I hadn't, then.. then maybe we'd all be a family still. But, no one can change history, can they? All we can do... is just try and make best of our stories so far and change.. right? Father... please... I pray that you can make peace with yourself, and... and that you'll forgive your brother in death, while I just can't forgive him in life. I... I love you, father... I'll miss you, and I hope you rest well."  
  
By the time he had finished his goodbyes, he had fallen to his knees, tears streaming from his eyes as his friends remained silent out of respect. Eventually, he did stop crying and once he did, he stood up and pulled two gold coins from his bag and placed them on the grave.  
  
  
Later, he had decided to leave his home, his business done and his uncle left to suffer in his own personal hell to find a pair of golden birds that may not have existed in the first place. For him, it just wasn't worth making the man pay for what he did when he wouldn't even recognize his own family anymore.  
  
So, he felt it was best to see what his brother was up to, and headed back to the crossroads where they parted ways.  
  
When he got there, however, he let out a small groan as he noticed that his brother's knife had rusted over and he remembered the enchantment of the knives.  
  
"Oh Gods, what the hell did Terry get himself into?" he asked and decided to follow the other road to investigate with aid of his animal friends.  
  
  
When he got to a large city, however, he soon found himself confronted by the locals, who treated him like royalty while he was escorted to the castle by the royal guards. Of course, as he realized that his brother must have gotten lucky while they were apart, he decided to play along to gather more information.  
  
He learned that a year before, a seven-headed dragon had shown up and terrorized the city, stealing away young maidens and even absconded with the baron's daughter. Though many a man had tried to get her back with the promise of her being their bride, it was the huntsman Daniel Finch who had succeeded, only to be killed by a greedy man and later revived by a magical root fetched by his hare. Though the princess delayed her wedding, the huntsman took nearly a year to return to her, before making his presence known and proving he had slain the dragon by presenting the monster's tongues to the Baron and even managed to win the false groom's land for himself as a bonus.  
  
However, as Tyler also learned, a few days ago, the new Baron Finch had headed off into the woods and didn't return for a few days- with Tyler being the only one aware his brother was still missing. However, before he could go off and search, he had noticed it had gotten late, and did whatever he could to avoid getting into bed with his brother's wife. Unfortunately for Tyler, she was stubborn, and when he ran out of excuses, he decided to do something drastic instead.  
  
"I'm sorry uh... darling." Tyler said as he drew a sword and placed it in bed between them, "But, I am just not in the mood tonight!"  
  
Thankfully, the drastic measure worked, and as his sister in law settled down to sleep, Tyler himself gave a sigh of relief as he slept peacefully until morning. Then, he set out into the local woods and began his search for his twin.  
  
"Sweet Grimm," Tyler said as he walked into the woods while also fiddling with a silver button on his shirt, "I thought the in-laws would end up siccing the guards on me to force me to stay..."  
  
"Well," said Aurelio with a smirk on his face, "you could have just told them you were Daniel's brother, but in all honestly... this is kind of entertaining."  
  
"I highly doubt they'd have believed him without proof," said Bon Jovi with a sigh as the bear plodded along, "And if they did, they'd probably accuse Master Tyler of killing his own brother, before executing him."  
  
"I'm just surprised the wife is.... not exactly the damsel type," McCloud said before he and Aurelio snickered, while Steppen merely shook his head and growled.  
  
"Cut the comedy, we have work to do." the wolf then said, his golden eyes keeping watch for trouble. However, it was little Sinatra who spoke up when she spotted something in the bushes nearby.  
  
"Hey! I think I found Danny's crossbow!" Sinatra said then, the rabbit running into the bushes and pulling out the mahogany crossbow, though as Tyler picked it up and examined it, he did notice something wasn't right.  
  
"The silver leaves are gone..." he said, before putting the crossbow into his bag. Of course, as he had then found a trail thanks to his rabbit, he then walked ahead, his friends by his side as they retraced his brother's steps. Eventually, though, the sun would set and Tyler would need to set up camp for the evening. Though, as he found a clearing, he immediately noticed that it looked like someone had used it for a campsite rather recently before he noticed a pack filled with silver broken silver bolts and also a "D. F." embroidered on the flap.  
  
"This looks like Terry's bag alright..." Tyler then said more to himself as he remembered how much his twin hated the use of his real name, even to the point that he made sure his initials were for Daniel Finch whenever he decided to put them on anything like a new bag. "So, it looks like he came here to make camp, but... where did he go?"  
  
Seeing no signs of his brother other than his bag though, he sighed as he then started a fire for the evening, and cooked some squirrels McCloud and Steppen had managed to scrounge up for them to eat, along with a deer that Aurelio had found and some berries and edible roots located by Sinatra and Bon Jovi. It was rather silent during their meal, however as they ate all six of them were on edge. They knew that something happened that caused Terry to vanish, but whoever had caused the disappearance had left his bag behind. In fact, the lack of footprints at the site when they found had been a sign that whoever or whatever had caused this mystery had been careful to try and clean it up as best as they could. However, before they could even begin to discuss any theories, a voice spoke up to grab Tyler's attention.  
  
"Oh, oh, how cold I am! I am freezing!" the voice of an elderly lady then said, causing Tyler to look up and see an old woman with a bandaged hand and long white hair sitting on a branch- where she came from he wasn't sure, especially since his animals didn't even smell her coming. Though, the way she seemed to ham it up a bit caused Tyler a little suspicion.  
  
"If you are cold, old mother," Tyler then said a bit dryly, "come down and warm yourself!"  
  
This caused the woman to panic as she looked at the beasts, almost falling out of the tree as if she'd seen a ghost before she regained her composure and spoke again. "No, y-you're animals will bite me!"  
  
Tyler raised an eyebrow at this, before glancing at his companions, who looked at him in return in annoyance about the accusation- especially little Sinatra.  
  
"No, they won't." he then said, "I'm pretty sure my animals are well fed enough to not bite a person from hunger."  
  
"Well, I can't trust them!" the old hag said with a pout as she crossed her arms and looked to the side, before smirking as she got an idea and pulled out a little willow switch from behind her back. "Here, I will throw you this little switch, and if you gently strike them across the back, then they will not be able to harm me!"  
  
That alone, was enough for Tyler to become even more suspicious of the hag, and so he kept his eyes on the old woman as he pulled out his crossbow and loaded a lead bolt onto it.  
  
"No, I will not strike my animals!" he said, "Now, you come down here, or I will fetch you."  
  
"Do as you like," the old woman then said with a smug smirk, "You can't hurt me."  
  
"If you don't come down," Tyler then said as he kept his tone even while he aimed his crossbow at the witch, "I  _will_  shoot you."  
  
"Shoot away!" the old witch then said as she spread her arms out, "your bolt can do me no harm!"  
  
So, Tyler shot away, and as it was, the bolt bounced harmlessly off the old woman's skull. She then cackled away while failing to pay attention to the Huntsman, "See? It is no use trying to hit me!"  
  
"We'll see about that!" Tyler said while pulling off three silver buttons from his shirt and after grabbing a broken bolt from his brother's bag, he then felt something flow through him. All he could hear was his heartbeat as his body seemed to move on its own, his hands glowing as he watched the buttons and bolt merge together, forming a beautiful new bolt right before his eyes before it was loaded into the crossbow and ready to fire.  
  
"TAKE THIS!" Tyler then said, the odd feeling of power he had still flowing through him as he fired, a trail of light following the silver bolt like lightning as it struck the witch in the shoulder, knocking her down to the ground with a scream. Tyler then ran over and put her foot down on the witch to keep her in place, while his beasts gathered around them both to make sure the old witch didn't try anything.  
  
"Now then," Tyler said, as the fire behind him flared with more life than before, "Old witch, if you do not tell me where my brother is, I'll take you up and throw you into the fire!"  
  
"F-Forgive me!" she screamed, "He is lying with his animals, turned to stone in a grave!"  
  
With that said, Tyler then forced the witch to take him to his brother, his body surging with magic all the while. After they arrived there, and she restored Terry, his own animals and everyone else she had turned to stone inside the grave, the two brothers then grabbed the witch, bound her up and threw her into the fire, before they handled a proper reunion. As Terry kissed his brother and embraced him, the younger of the twins then spoke as their animals simply remained quiet as not to ruin the moment... as well as escort the various traders, tinkers, and shepherds to the edge of the forest.  
  
"Oh Steel, it's good to see you again!" Terry then said a little later as the two brothers walked back to the younger twin's castle with their rabbits, while the rest of their beasts still handled escort duty.  
  
"Same here, little brother." Tyler said with a small smile before he gave his twin an annoyed look as he added, "Now, what exactly caused you to let yourself get tricked by that witch in the first place!?"  
  
"Okay, now... h-hear me out." Terry said as he tried to cover his ass, "See, there was this white deer and we chased it all over the woods, but it just could not be caught! The witch showed up and tricked me into striking my beasts before smacking me with the switch and---"  
  
"Okay, okay... Geeze..." Tyler said with a sigh, "I think I understand what happened now... except for how exactly your crossbow lost the leaves it had."  
  
"Oh... that." Terry said, "So, when I got revived from the dead after some asshole killed me, my coin purse was stolen, and I was in severe need of money that well, couldn't wait a few days to refill thanks to my spare liver. So, I pried them off and sold them."  
  
"Right," Tyler said with disbelief, while his twin seemed confused for a moment.  
  
"Brother, you don't seem surprised that I died..." Terry then said, "Did something happen while we were apart?"  
  
"Not really, besides our real father dying, and me forgiving him at his grave." Tyler said, "Also, I heard about the dragon, in fact, everyone seemed to think I was you when I arrived, so I had to pretend to be you, with amnesia, just to get information."  
  
"I see." Terry then said as he glared at his brother, and reached for his sword, "You didn't share a bed with my wife, did you?"  
  
"Well, yes but I-" was all Tyler said before he heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed and he soon saw the kind face of Death himself.  
  


**********

"... When I came back to life soon after, I learned a few things." Tyler said as the story bubble paused at his death, "First of all, that my brother jammed the magic root that brought him back to life, into my spine before he put my head back on my shoulders, which rendered me effectively immortal. Second, and more important was the fact that due to me still being fueled by the power that surged through me while taking down that hag, I found myself with the power to see a person's past present and future when I locked eyes with them. What's worse is that if a person I saw the fate of was... heading for a bad end like yours is at the moment, kid? I felt compelled to do things to try and turn their life around."  
  
Tyler then sighed as he removed the bubble entirely, before giving Jotaro and Carmen a tired look, "It was fine, at first being immortal and all, but... as time passed on, my friends aged while I didn't. Each time the Knight of Death came for them, they begged for him to let them stay with me no matter what, only for the death to ask for something in exchange, just to hold on to until I could finally die for good. Aurelio's sense of humor, Bon Jovi's wisdom, Steppen's sight, McCloud's sly wit, even... even Sinatra's voice. All of them did that for me, and I love them for it, I really do. However..."  
  
As the mage's expression turned to one of rage, it became clear as he spoke the man had a hell of a grudge, "Ever since my bastard of a twin killed me, I’ve been nothing more than ‘the bad guy’ that has to teach blockheads like you a lesson to change their damn future! I’ve had days where I’m worried that I’m no longer a person, but a fucking plot device in people’s lives that know what’s needed to stop a bad ending- and yet, I can’t do shit to make myself seem like a good person rather than a villain! All those girls I’ve been said to sleep around with? Never really happened. I had to beg them to give me a terrible reputation just so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting attached to someone and just… losing them because they’d die and I couldn’t. I’m sick of it. I WANT to fucking die, and you know what? I don’t know if I ever. Fucking. Will.”  
  
When he finished speaking, Tyler broke down into tears, his sobs being the only noise in the entire chamber as he fell to his knees. Jotaro merely looked away from the mage and lowered the bill of his cap over his eyes in silence, and after a short while, it was Carmen that finally spoke up.  
  
"Great. Here I was, looking forward to kicking your ass, Tyler, and you've managed to make it completely not worth going through the trouble of doing so." she said, before standing up and glaring at the mage, "However, I still want to know what exactly my future was going to be, that made you so damn intent on making me yours."  
  
"I don't know," Tyler said quietly, causing Carmen and Jotaro to glare.  
  
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" both stand user and shapeshifter then said as Tyler sniffed a bit.  
  
"I said, I don't know." Tyler then said a bit louder, "Carmen, when I look into your eyes, I can't see jack-shit. The last time that happened? A girl I liked a lot died and left her sons behind without even a father to care for them. I didn't even have the balls then to just man up and tell her I loved her, so... I figured that if I needed to, I... I wanted to make sure you felt a little loved, in case your time was coming up soon."  
  
"You have a shitty way of going about it," Jotaro said, "In fact, from what I gathered, you seemed obsessed with Carmen and your supposedly nonexistent record."  
  
"Well, I haven't exactly tried actively courting a woman in 250 years, pal, and it'd be a bit weird for a known manwhore like myself to suddenly ask people for dating advice, don't you think?"  
  
"Right, and that other girl you claim you couldn't help?" Carmen then said, "Who was she?"  
  
Tyler's expression turned dark at the question, as he clenched his fist and spoke up in a quiet rage, “That Karas Bastard said he was working with Amelia Red- that lady was the only other person who I couldn’t see and learn everything about right away… and the only person I fell for because of it.”  
  
"Wait,  _Amelia Red?_  Wasn't she Robiard Kisahs' former apprentice?" Carmen then said before Jotaro could ask about Karas, "They say that the slayer murdered her, right?"  
  
"Yeah, Amy was Kisahs apprentice, and she did die but... not to the slayer," Tyler said coldly, "The real bastard who murdered her was----"  
  
Before he could reveal the killer's true identity- though Carmen herself had her own suspicions as to who it was, a howl echoed through the cavern, causing Tyler to worry as he saw a fiery wolf run by the trio of people and dive into the lake, followed by a bear, a fox, and a halfway regenerated undead rabbit. Bringing up the rear and looking roughed up though, was Alphonse, the alphyn having apparently had a nice fight as he chased after the four immortal beasts, before stopping to growl at Tyler. However, after a moment, Alphonse then looked at the man in confusion, while the mage looked appalled at the beast.  
  
"What...what did you do?" he said before he started glowing with a golden light as he pulled out his crossbow and pointed it at the dragon-wolf, "If you harmed my friends, you damn mutt, I'll destroy you!"  
  
Just as the mage took aim though, he was surprised as Jotaro suddenly popped up between him and the alphyn, a frown on the teen's face as he watched a bolt of light appear on the crossbow.  
  
"You know," Jotaro said with Star Platinum hovering behind him, "You called me out for being an asshole, and while yeah, I did those things, I can't help but feel like you're nothing more than a crappy guy hiding behind good intentions. So, you know what? I think I'll kick your ass here and now for trying to hurt my friend Pietro's dog."  
  
"So, you're still going to pull the tough guy act, even after I called you on your shit?" Tyler said, only to watch as Jotaro nodded while Star Platinum gave a wild grin, “Well, if you’re going to keep on with your act, then I’ll just keep up with the one I was forced into- time to be Mr. Bad Guy all over again!”  
  
With that, Tyler then fired his crossbow, the bolt of magic flying towards Jotaro's heart. Though, just as Star Platinum attempted to grab it, the dolphin pin Carmen had given the teen flashed and created a shield around Jotaro, which then nullified the bolt completely. This was followed by Carmen running in as she morphed her hand into a spray nozzle, before she stuck a small bottle into her arm, and blasted the mage's face with a reddish brown mist. Though, as Jotaro saw Tyler shout in pain, he soon realized that Carmen probably created a chemical weapon in her shop's lab.  
  
"What did you hit him with?" Jotaro said as his stand cracked its knuckles.  
  
"A mix of mustard, red pepper, garlic, and horseradish." Carmen said, "I was making a new pesticide, and I figured I'd test it on Tyler."  
  
"Well, I'd say it worked," Jotaro said as he indicated the man cursing as he rubbed his eyes- which only made the pain worse. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a debt to pay."  
  
With that said, Jotaro then watched as his madly grinning stand then flew ahead, and began to pummel the poor mage, just as Joseph, Irene, Pietro and a lion entered the chamber.  
  
_"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_  
  
Once the beatdown was completed, and Tyler once again began to regenerate, Jotaro calmly pulled out his notebook, tore out a page listing Tyler's misdeeds that he had put together, and threw it behind his shoulder onto the mage's body. Once the man's receipt had been given though, he looked up and saw his friends with the lion.  
  
"What exactly happened here?" Pietro said while Carmen decided to speak up.  
  
"Turns out Tyler's immortal, was the guy you met that one time, and oh yeah, can see people's lives by locking eyes with them." Carmen said, "Also, he tried to kill Jotaro with a magic bolt, but as you can see... Well, that backfired spectacularly."  
  
"Well, I'm glad you gave Jotaro the pin beforeha---" Pietro said, before being knocked to the ground by Alphonse and subjected to being licked by the beast.  
  
"Wow, Jotaro got to see that spell?" Irene said with a shudder, most likely remembering the last person who was hit with the magic bolt, "That caused Jonathan to be in pain for days when Tyler hit him with it! I'm glad you thought ahead and kept that spell in mind."  
  
"Actually, I didn't even know about that until now, Irene." Carmen said as she coughed a bit out of embarrassment, "I mean, I only gave Jotaro just so he could have some sort of magic shield on him. That, and I really didn’t know what would happen in the fight, so eh, never hurts to be prepared for as much bullshit as you can.”  
  
"Ugh... Do you have any other business in my home?" Tyler said with a groan once his jaw was no longer lopsidedly hanging off his face before he sat up and glared at the group as he continued to regenerate, "Also, you guys weren't sent by Karas to further try and kill me, were you?"  
  
"Nah, we just came here to kick your ass." Jotaro said, "Though, Karas is a... person of interest in an ongoing investigation, so... care to explain what exactly you did to piss him off?"  
  
"He saved my rabbit, and he asked me to make a ward breaker for a dragon's den, and then he put in two orthri in my home to get rid of me," Tyler said flatly, only to be punched in the face by Carmen.  
  
"So, were you the asshole who gave that gooey black bastard some cinnamon?" the shapeshifter said, which caused Tyler to flinch.  
  
"Well, yeah, but... wait." Tyler said as he realized something was up, "What were you even doing in a dragon's lair, Carmen?"  
  
"Gee, maybe visiting family, dumbass." Carmen said bluntly, "Silvas, the diamond dragon in the mountain named after him is my freaking great, great granddad after all."  
  
"Oh. Shit." Tyler said as he finally managed to stand up and gulp, "Uh... I swear, I did not know you were actually... I mean... uh... shit. Please tell me there's a way I can make up for all my crap. And Dying isn't really an option cause well... the root of life stuck in my fucking spine and all."  
  
"Well, maybe if you came clean about your freaky life-viewing powers, and actually help people by not being a bastard, that would be a good way for me to start respecting you, jackass!" Carmen said as she placed her hands on her hips. Though, while Carmen began chewing out the mage for all the crap he put her through since they met, and Tyler was meekly nodding along, Jotaro found himself thinking about what the mage had told him.  
  
_Is my life really going to end with my family despising me?_ he thought to himself,  _Not to mention, according to what looks like Steely Dan of all people, I'm going to be a father. Does that mean, I'm going to be a crappy one like my own dad is to me? I really don't want to be away from my own family all the time like he was for my life. I... want to be a better father than that. A better man than that.  
_  
As Jotaro's face remained expressionless, his stand showed the concern the teen had, which Joseph noticed as everyone else was distracted by either Tyler or Pietro trying to get Alphonse to stop licking him.  
  
"Hey, Jotaro," Joseph then said, "Everything all right?"  
  
Jotaro then flinched as his stand vanished before he took a moment to speak.  
  
"It's no-" he began to say, before he stopped himself and started heading out of the cavern, "I'll tell you later old man, right now, I think I'll head back to the shop and get some sleep."  
  
"Ok...?" Joseph said in confusion and watched as Jotaro stopped for a moment as he passed by Tyler, and looked the mage in the eye. Though, as Tyler's own eyes widened, the mage found himself seeing a new future for Jotaro- one where he had a young boy sitting on his knee and playing with a sun-shaped charm on a chain while a young woman looked a bit irritated as she glared at the back of a woman with brown hair.  
  
_"Yare yare dawa,"_ he heard the girl say, though her tone seemed to indicate she did not like the woman in the background washing dishes.  
  
The older Jotaro in the vision said nothing, but did smile a bit and shook his head, apparently thinking that maybe, just maybe, the girl with green and black hair would start getting along with her stepmother... though, for some reason that young lady did remind Tyler of Carmen, of all people.  
  
_Well, it's a start... I guess._ Tyler thought as Jotaro broke eye contact and continued walking away, and a small smile appeared on his lips as he watched the rest of Jotaro's allies leave soon after. Once they were gone though, he decided to lay on the cold stone floor of the chamber, and let out a groan. Sure, he could stand, but it still hurt to walk at the moment... maybe a little more regenerating was needed before he could tell the truth to the people of Thornsborough.  
  
He just hoped that they didn't get out the torches and pitchforks once he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone, and yeah... this took WAAAAAY too long to get written, sorry about that.
> 
> Anywho, this chapter's title comes from the Queen song, "Who Wants to Live Forever?" which in my opinion is a pretty beautiful song!
> 
> Also, the newest alternate to debut is Enya the hag's alternate who... is well, a nameless old hag. Like her normal JJBA counterpart though, she gets offed by a Steely Dan. Maybe not in the same way as in canon, but Fanterra!Enya may have it worse due to having to be killed by TWO Dans. Via Fire. 
> 
> Oh yeah. And Steely Dan gets a second alternate in Terry "Daniel Finch" Williamson. Who is well, Tyler's evil twin. If you want more information about what went down with Terry during Tyler's forgiving of their father, I advise reading the story of "The Two Brothers" by well, the Brothers Grimm. 
> 
> About the chapter itself- yes, Marik is a bit like Josuke when it comes to his hair. And also, yes, Jolyne gets a cameo at the end of the chapter. Speaking of, I've been told by a friend that Carmen is oddly similar to Jolyne in personality so... not sure if that's good or bad. 
> 
> Well, feel free to comment with questions if you got them, and I'll be happy to answer them.
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- A day in the life of a bad guy.


	22. Kyrie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowie gets a few surprises in his life, some from the past, and a couple in the present.

"Bowie," Amelia said as she entered their shared bedroom of her sanctuary, "It's been a full day since you got that crown from Karas... I'm not even sure if you've slept."

"Oh, I haven't," Bowie said casually as he heard Amelia slide her cot out from under the bed while he kept his good eye on the crown resting on the desk in front of him, "Then again, it's not every day you get your hands on the armor of a legendary hero from a lost kingdom, so I felt I needed to confirm just how legitimate this crown actually was."

"And?" Amelia said as she decided to move a little closer to the handsome goblin, and also looked at the ornate, draconic crown decorated with a large piece of Tanzanite that Bowie was examining.

"It's the real thing, alright." Bowie said in an annoyed tone, "However, because of a lock within the magic infused into the crown, I'm afraid it's useless to us at the moment."

"I take it that this magic lock isn't something either of us could pick easily, even with our own spells?" Amelia said with a frown.

"Depends," Bowie said as he finally tore his gaze away from the crown to look at Amelia, who silently noticed that the goblin's bandage needed to be changed again, "How good are you in completely altering a person's soul?"

"I can't do anything like that," Amelia said as she summoned some clean bandages and began her work, "I assume that it needs a certain soul to unlock it?"

"You assume correctly." the goblin said while his let Amelia remove the dirty bandages on his face and clean the injury underneath them, "And from my attempts to find a match, it seems that the "Chosen One" for the Dragon Knight's crown hasn't even been in Fanterra since the disappearance of the one meant to claim it from Silvas... at least, that's what I'm going with after my research."

"Well, I assume that's what happens when you have Marik eliminate someone." Amelia said flatly, "Personally, I believe the monster may have devoured the poor soul- they do say nothing is left from a Manticore attack."

Bowie shot her a glare as she soon finished up the new bandages- which had gotten fewer as time went by, and at the moment, were limited to a strip of linen over a cotton patch.

"Amelia," Bowie said with a surprisingly cold tone in his voice, "As much as I may despise Marik for what he did to my eye, I would very much appreciate that you would refrain from insulting him, or any other children of Calina Zavriel when you are in my presence. After all, respect for one's enemies is important for a villain such as I in this tale we are weaving and I would like those serving under me to uphold that virtue for as long as I live. Now, do I make myself clear, Amelia?"

"Yes, my lord." Amelia said as she pulled back from the goblin, and lowered her hands to her sides, "I will do my best, to honor your wishes."

"Thank you, Amelia." Bowie said as he turned his attention back to the crown for the moment, "Now, while the crown itself is useless to us without the 'Chosen One' that could bypass the soul lock, I should be able to make a copy for us to use without that lock on it."

"Copy legendary armor?" Amelia said in disbelief, "Is that even possible?"

"Oh, it really is." Bowie said with a smile, "Then again, creating useable copies of magical objects was a specialty of mine, so I'm not surprised that no one else has managed it... judging by your reaction, anyway. Why, back during the war with Puck's rebellion, I actually spent time copying magical objects for my personal studies when it came to captured artifacts used by the rebellion."

"With that skill, I'm surprised your side still lost, Bowie," Amelia said a bit dryly, while Bowie let out a groan.

"In all honesty, when working for a madwoman like the Blue Faerie, it is sometimes best not to argue when your work environment might be deadlier than the battlefield." the goblin then said, "Now then, Amelia, do you think we might go shopping tomorrow?"

"Any particular reason why?"

"Well, I can't make a copy from nothing, so, I figured I'd go shopping with you to try and find a nice crown to use as a base for the new armor." Bowie said, "Preferably something that'd fit Prince Jonathan, Gods know he may need some exercise after being locked up for about a week, not to mention that poor dragon, Danny, could be useful to us as well, maybe as Jonathan's steed."

"Bowie, I could handle going shopping on my own..." Amelia said as she blushed at the thought of shopping with her beloved master, "You still need to rest, I mean, what if the venom in your system hasn't been completely purged yet? You could get yourself into trouble if you push yourself too hard."

"Amelia, I'll be sure to carry some antivenom along so I can continue my treatment on the road if I need to. Not to mention I'm going a little stir crazy waiting around inside the castle you call a sanctuary. I need to go out, get some fresh air, see just where the hell we are and perhaps explore to find good places for traps against heroes or other adventurers that come poking around." Bowie said with a laugh, "Not to mention, this castle does need some decoration. I mean honestly, if I must be a villain in this story we are making together, I should at least make sure my enemies feel comfortable in my own home! After all, what would people say if they came by and saw just blank walls and not even a theme outside of nothingness? Presentation, my dear Amelia, is as important in the lair as it is in appearance and cooking."

"Very well," Amelia said with a sigh, "I'll check that beast's treasure horde in the morning, and see what I can gather for funds. As for you, Bowie, please try and get some sleep, I don't want you to collapse from exhaustion on our way to the port market, it'll be a long road after all."

"Don't worry," Bowie said as he stood up and yawned, before he pushed his chair in and headed towards his bed, "I'm able to take care of myself for the moment, Amelia, I don't need a nurse forever, now you try and get some rest as well, alright? And... if you need a softer bed, feel free to crawl in next to me."

"I'll be fine on my cot." Amelia said as she removed her cloak and converted it into a blanket as she laid down to rest, "The last time I shared a bed with you, I woke up with you cuddling me, and you trying to remove my mask in your sleep."

"Well, what can I say?" Bowie said with a smile as he took his boots off and crawled under the covers, "I'm a cuddler."

"Good Night, Bowie," Amelia said as she used her magic to turn off the crystal lamps in the room.

"Good Night, Amelia," the goblin said as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, and also into a rather strange dream.

It began simply enough, with Bowie wandering the castle with no sign of Amelia, Karas, Jonathan, or even Danny the dragon! As far as he could tell, the goblin was all alone, and with the moon looking extremely large outside the castle windows, he was honestly a little creeped out as well. Then, he noticed that there were curtains fluttering around him despite the windows being closed tight. He felt unnerved at this, and he wasn't sure why. Though he also knew that whatever was going on, he wouldn't find any answers just standing around and leaning on his cane.

So, he began to walk.

It was lonely as he moved down the hallway, the only sounds he could hear were the tapping of his cane and his footsteps, yet he didn't feel so alone. In fact, he felt regretful about something he couldn't quite recall, before he heard another set of footsteps fade in and out behind him. As he turned, the green goblin then saw the source of the ghostly sound as he witnessed a figure appearing and disappearing into the hall. The stranger looked like a young prince in a white shirt under a blue doublet with a tattered pale green mantle around his shoulders and matching hose on his legs. The prince also had on blue slippers with leather cross-gartering on his legs and upon his head, was a tarnished silver crown that caused Bowie to think of ivy, while the cracked remains of gemstones made it hard to identify what kind they were before.

However, what caught Bowie's attention the most, was the way the young man moved like he was in a trance- shuffling around slowly when he was solid and swaying like a drunkard just as he was about to vanish.

"H-Hey!" Bowie said as he tried to chase after the ghostly brown-haired prince, "Excuse me! Just, who are you?"

The prince never answered, unfortunately, though as Bowie chased after the stranger as he moved further and further away, the goblin would find himself distracted as he heard a noise from outside. Though, when he stopped to look out the window, he was surprised to see a seemingly endless parade of pink elephants in the courtyard.

"What in the world?" he said, before he blinked, and found himself in an entirely new situation.

Instead of an adult body in the castle, he was now in some sort of room surrounded by human children sitting at desks wearing clothes that seemed both strange and oddly familiar to him- shirts and blue jeans, skirts, and ribbons, he wasn't even sure why he didn't seem to question any of this before he looked down at his hands and saw that instead of green skin, he had pinkish white arms normal for a thirteen-year-old who didn't get out much, while instead of notes on his desk was a drawing of an armored fairy with a pony tail that he was actually in the middle of drawing. It wasn't that good of a drawing, but he didn't care as he continued working on it, instead of doing the math problems on the board.

And then came the smack of a ruler on his desk as the teacher who had been lecturing and making sure everyone was doing his or her work had caught him in the act.

"Drawing in class again, Toby?" said the teacher with green eyes, dark blonde hair and a dark suit with a white shirt, while Bowie... or rather "Toby" gulped as he couldn't talk his way out of this and simply nodded in response, "Right. You know where to go."

"Yes, Miss Jones." Toby then said with a sigh as he got up and the apparent troublemaker once again made his way to the principal's office. Though, as he walked down the hallway, no matter what the Goblin tried to do or say, he found he had no control over the boy and was simply a captive audience in the child's body.

 _"Just what is happening here?"_  Bowie thought as he saw through young Toby's eyes, feeling what he did as the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden ball,  _"What is this place? I've never even been here before, so... why does it even seem familiar to me? Could this be due to the possession?"_

 _"Hey, can you be quiet, again?"_ Toby's voice then said in the boy's mind, and also catching Bowie off guard,  _"You finally talk to me, and all you got is questions, questions, and more questions... geez, and I thought you were supposed to be a genius tactician or whatever."_

 _"Hey, be nice to him, Mike!"_  said Toby's voice again, though the tone was different than the other voice,  _"It's not his fault he doesn't remember! It was hers!"_

 _"Hers?"_ Bowie said, now even more confused,  _"Just what is going on here? I am dreaming, aren't I? And what do you mean remember? More importantly, just what is this place!?"_

 _"This place is a middle school, Mister Goblin,"_  Toby then said as the body continued walking along the hallway, and also began to notice that things were starting to get quieter and quieter,  _"My name is Toby Williams, while the ruder side is Mike. He kinda showed up after my big sister Sarah went off to college."_

 _"Yeah, yeah, he doesn't need to know too much about us, ya wimp."_  Mike then said, " _Not like we exist anymore."_

 _"Right. Sorry."_  Toby said before Bowie could ask what Mike had meant,  _"Well, anyway, the year is 2007, and our city of Brightstar is filled with superheroes and villains, while our greatest hero-"_

 _"-and idiot-"_

 _"-Thanks. Mike. Our greatest hero, the Red Boar, had recently been dumped by his girlfriend Khrima Thorn when she revealed her father is his arch enemy, The Black Mage. So, he turned evil when he got captured by Three Black- as in Evil, not African American Princesses... somehow. I don't know that part very well. Anyway, Khrima was set up on a blind date with Prince Fangstian Leonne of Thornclaw, Fanterra by the prince's cousin, a supervillain and surprisingly decent guy known as The Jester. Well, from what I can gather, Khrima was accidentally sent to Fanterra by the Prince's bodyguard since he snuck off for the date, and so she got the Rose Knight's Choker and became a magical warrior to fight against the Three Black Princesses. Other warriors included Mirror Knight Mae Charm who was chosen by Pietro Aifread when she found a compact with a mirror shard from THAT magic mirror, and Rayna Tamar, who found a magic Ring to make her the Ring Knight. Then, came us as the Golden Knight and Nick as the Blade Knight, and there was other stuff too, like Ricky Lupo hunting down Minnie Red to avenge his brother Johnny's death! And Papa Bear's Resistance against the Nobility outside of Thornclaw's borders and also the Three Princesses, and the youngest Evil Princess Selna's Romance with the Great Wizard Alec."_

 _"And none of it went ANYWHERE because after Nick and us got zapped to the resistance base, our memories blanked out, like a bad comic where the artist just ran out of ideas."_ Mike then said after Toby's somewhat gushy explanation of the story of their world. Though it did sound a bit familiar to Bowie, and he did notice a few familiar names such as Pietro and Ricky, he personally found himself agreeing with Mike on just how cheesy it sounded.

Before he could say anything though, a new voice cut through the silence.

"Caught you again, huh?" said a man with dark green hair and pale skin, that also wore a wool cap with a brown jumpsuit and brown, short boots with thick soles. Though, as the man leaned on a large mop, Bowie couldn't help but feel this slacker was supposed to be doing something else.

"What's her problem, anyway?" Toby or rather "Mike" then said while Bowie felt himself cringe.

 _"Oh, gods, this is going to be horrible, isn't it?"_  the goblin said while he could hear Toby sigh in the boy's mind.

 _"Yeah... and since this already happened... if we had to go through it, you got to go through it too. Sorry."_  
  
"Maybe if your little 'mishap' in your house was believable," the janitor then said, "Hol- I mean Miss Jones, would probably be more lenient."

"But that's what happened!" Toby said as he crossed his arms and pouted.

"Ha! Who would believe a green scaly guy named Ronald came into your house and offered magic lessons?" the janitor said before nearly losing his balance from laughter.

"First off, his named was Rupert," Toby said in annoyance while Mike was still in control of his body, "Second of all, Nick, he was looking for a lawbook, and offered to teach me magic until he found it... he just accidentally took my homework with him when he did."

"Uh-huh, right." Nick then said before a scream echoed throughout the building. "Oh shi--- er,  _shoot!_  That was from Miss Jones' room!"

Before Bowie could even comment within Toby's mind about the sudden shift in things, there was a blur and next thing he knew the boy and the custodian were in a mostly empty classroom, except for the chubby snake creature with what seemed like a tentacle wrapped around a tiny fairy dressed in rags.

"Let go of me this instant!" the fairy, who looked a lot like the teacher from before then said as she struggled to break free, while the chubby monster rolled her eyes and hissed.

"Not a chance, sparklebutt."

 _"Okay, that was actually a bit funny."_  Bowie chuckled in Toby's mind, while the boy doubted himself when the fairy asked him for help, only for the golden ball in his pocket to suddenly flash and turn into armor and a mace for him to use, while the custodian pulled out a knife and gained armor as well. Though, the custodian's armor looked more like a pair of loose pants, a bright yellow and blue-green breastplate and overall, just plain gaudy as he twirled a dagger in his hand.

 _"This just... raises so many questions."_  Bowie then said as he watched a rather lackluster battle which consisted of the boy smashing the ground with his mace to summon a golden quake, while the janitor, Nick, simply summoned one thousand and one knives from thin air and threw them at the monster, while somehow avoiding harm to Miss Jones the faerie. Of course, things became even more confusing as the monster turned into a fairy with a hole in her stomach. This new fairy turned out to be the sister of the one in rags, who, upon the return of her crown gained a more regal dress as she thanked Toby and even asked her sister to visit her again.

 _"She just tried to kill you! Why would you even want her to visit her again!?"_  Bowie asked but never gained an answer as he opened his eyes and found himself back in his chambers in the castle lair. As he sat up in his bed though, he saw sunlight come in through the window and no sign of Amelia.

 _She must be making breakfast again,_  he thought as he stretched a bit and yawned as he crawled out of bed, though did stop as he saw his reflection in the mirror. "What?"

Looking back at him, was the prince from his dream, both eyes green and brown looking at the goblin in surprise as he copied Bowie's movements in silence, ranging from flexing his muscles, to even doing a few silly dance steps and jumping jacks. However, it was when he heard a knock did he speak up.

"Come in," The goblin said, before realizing his voice sounded younger- most likely that of his reflection now that he thought about it. However, instead of Amelia, a young man with ash-blond hair cropped short, while icy blue eyes looked into Bowie's mismatched eyes. Of course, while the goblin was surprised as he recognized the young man as the bastard who destroyed the empire he once worked for, Puck, he could also feel himself smile as he was forced to address his enemy as someone else in this dream.

"Oh, Michael! Ready for your first day as my personal guard, my friend?"

"Prince Tobias," said Michael, "Mis Majesty King Greene does want you to refer to me as Sir Owens from now on, and... well, you know how he can be."

"I know, I know," Bowie said with a sigh in the prince's voice, while mentally he screamed with his own- especially as he couldn't believe that he and Puck were once friends! "Father wants me to be a good king of ______, and rule the land like he does... but... I'm not sure he can listen to the land like I can."

"Right. The whole... weird thing that happened in the garden last week." Michael said with a groan, "Listen, your hi-  _Toby_ , whatever it was that happened with the apple tree, it was probably just the fair folk messing with you. I mean, I'm not even sure you can manipulate the land like you did just because you wanted an apple that badly."

"It would be pretty interesting if I could though!" Bowie said with a smile, though he also felt confused why the kingdom's name felt censored, especially as the rest of their conversation so far suddenly lost the sound as well. Not to mention that when he tried to read Michael's lips, they were blurred, and while he could feel his own mouth move, he couldn't make out what he was being made to say.

Strange.

"Well, we wasted enough time here, your highness." Michael then said as the sound returned, "His Majesty, King Jareth Greene, has someone for you to meet."

"Oh no, not another potential bride..." Bowie said as his body was puppeteered out of the room behind Michael, and for a split second, it looked like he had flickered into the form of Puck as they went towards the throne room of the palace. All sorts of thoughts went through Bowie's mind as he tried to speak, only to find that he couldn't- confusion about why he was being shown all of this, familiarity of it all, the parts that seemed missing making him concerned, and finally, fear and dread about just what this dream would lead to. Of course, as Michael looked over his shoulder during the walk and Puck's image flickered in place once again in the silence between them, Bowie swore he saw his enemy was just as frightened and confused as he felt!

 _Puck, I... Are we sharing this dream? Or is this a nightmare? Could this even be a memory? I wish I knew._  Bowie thought,  _More importantly, I wish I could share this dream with someone I could actually tolerate... Calina Zavriel, perhaps?_  
  
As he thought about the raven-haired fairy godmother though, he blinked and found himself in the castle throne room and staring at a shy young woman in a pale yellow gown, her body obscured by it as well as long knotted sleeves draped over her hands, her hair covered with a blue and yellow hat and cream colored wimple, and finally a veil hid her face from the Goblin. Puck or Michael or whoever he was in this dream was nowhere in sight as Bowie then took a step forward, only to stumble as he headed towards the woman, watching her vanish as he headed towards her chest, and as a result hit the floor.

"So much for a soft landing," he said with a groan in his own voice instead of the prince's as he got up and rubbed his cheek, before he noticed that not only was he alone, but the room itself seemed to be in ruins as Tobias Greene's ghostly form reappeared once again.

"Do you know who you truly are, Goblin King?" the ghost then asked before tilting his head.

"What do you mean, spirit?" Bowie then asked, "I'm myself, Bowie the Goblin... nothing more than a villain in this tale, aren't I?"

"How can you be so sure?" the spirit said as he started to become solid, while Bowie started to fade, "How do you know there's not more to you... to us than meets the-- Oh no. Do you recognize this moment?"

"Should I?" Bowie said as he tried to sound calm, though his voice betrayed a little fear as he felt a chill go down his spine as the doors next to him slammed open, followed by a high pitched and annoying laugh that sent a chill down the goblin's spine before he and Tobias said one name in fear.

"Tara."

Bowie turned his head as the door went through his body, and saw the Blue Faerie herself with her back towards the door frame and her arm raised above her head as if she was trying to arouse the terrified prince as her forces laid siege to the castle outside. Her gown was pale blue, translucent and seemed to almost slink along with her as she slowly moved to look through the ghostly goblin towards the prince, while her wings were on the small side and seemed forever immobile and fake. It didn't fit with what he knew of Fanterra. Especially with that messy long hair she had which was nothing more than bright red and purple streaks.

She never belonged.

It was then that Bowie noticed a small goblin at her feet, clothed in a purple shirt with a gold bracelet on his wrist. The poor thing didn't move, and though Bowie knew who it was, he surprisingly felt heartbroken upon seeing Puck unconscious and recently converted.

"Michael..." The prince said while tears ran down his cheeks, "No..."

"Oh, he won't even remember Michael Owens ever existed when he wakes up, Tobiekins,~" The Blue Faerie said with a sigh before she smiled and moved away from the door and walked towards the prince, "Now then your highness, it's time you got a  _very special_  blessing from the Empress of all Faeries!~"

"No... no!" both Bowie and Tobias said as Tara Morgan started walking towards the brown-haired prince- towards Bowie's past self, all while singing as if she was doing housework.

 _"When you wish upon a star... makes no difference, who you are...~"_

~0~

 _SMACK!_  
That was the sound that finally caused Bowie to awaken from his nightmare. As he opened his eye and prayed that he really was awake this time, he was at first relieved once his mind registered the fact his injured eye was still that- injured. As he also noticed that the blanket that covered him was tangled around his body while he caught his breath, he took a moment to calm down and look around the room as he noticed Amelia near the wall and picking up her mask. Unfortunately, her hood obscured her face and so he didn't get a glimpse of what was hidden from the world.

What was strange though, was as he looked at his hands, the back of his left was scraped.

"Bowie, are you alright?" Amelia then asked, getting the goblin king's attention, "You woke me up this morning telling someone to stop. I didn't see anyone attack you, or detect anyone's presence in the room as you tossed and turned, but when you grunted in pain, I... I did try and awaken you. However, you struck me rather hard that I hit the wall, so if you would rather I not wake you anymore..."

"No, no, you did right to try and awaken me, Amelia." Bowie said as he watched the witch adjust her mask while she explained what had happened, "You were worried. It... It made sense for you to check on me. However, as to what happened, it... it was hopefully just a nightmare."

"Hopefully, my lord?" Amelia asked as she moved to sit on the bed, and also help untangle the goblin from the sheets, "You sound unsure."

"I... I saw Tara Morgan, and... remembered some horrible things about her, I think." Bowie said as he looked away from the witch. Amelia said nothing for a moment and let go of the sheet as she stepped away from the goblin. While her expression was unreadable to Bowie, he couldn't help but wonder just what was going through her mind as she moved to slide her cot under the bed and head out of the room.

"I'll go get breakfast and your antivenom. Please, try and get dressed and put that nightmare out of your mind. It's all in the past. It... it shouldn't affect the present, Bowie."

"Thank you, Amelia," Bowie said as he watched the witch in the red cloak leave before he moved to grab his cane and get out of bed.

~0~

The land outside of the castle sanctuary was worse than he had imagined. While he knew the garden was lacking in any form of vegetation save for a dead tree near the back wall, he honestly didn't expect the land outside the castle to resemble a sparse wasteland. Though there were patches of grass here and there along the road, to the goblin, it seemed that this place had seen better day and that it was practically a miracle that anyone could even live here at all.

"Here, Bowie," Amelia then said as she handed the Goblin in his usual black shirt and pants a simple white scarf, before adjusting her red cloak, "The wind can get rather dusty, this scarf should protect you from that."

"Thank you, Amelia." the goblin then said as he slipped on the scarf before he adjusted the eyepatch he had to wear over his regenerating brown eye, "Though I do have a question, just where exactly are we?"

"We're in Labrys, Bowie." Amelia said, "I felt that when it came to our potential enemies, it would be best to set up my sanctuary someplace unlikely for them to look, such as this unclaimed territory in the middle of the sea."

"It shouldn't feel so dead..." Bowie then said absently, finding the name of the area familiar, while Amelia hummed a bit as she continued to explain.

"From what I could gather, three thousand years ago, the Kingdom lost its heir, a prince who could control the land itself. Though, as if the land had a will of its own and mourned the loss, it turned dangerous. Every creature became deadly, trees could lose their branches and kill a person at any moment, and the land itself became barren, save for some pockets of mercy- most likely in hopes that if the heir ever returned, he'd still have something to rule over." The witch said, "Still, lately the Seven Kingdoms have been sending representatives in hopes that the land would somehow be revived by their presence."

"Why is that, Amelia?" Bowie asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as the pair walked along and the Goblin's cane tapped at the hard ground.

"Some legend saying that the land would be revived when the heir set foot on it once again, and flowers grew from their footsteps." Amelia said with a scoff, "Personally, I believe it's a load of lies, considering that it's been millennia and no one's managed to revive the land yet."

"Perhaps." Bowie said, "Then again, we don't seem to have all the details, so we may be missing something."

The goblin was silent after that, deciding to instead think about the recent information. He wasn't sure why the name Labrys sounded familiar, or why the legend of the prince who could control the land itself felt right to him either. Though, as his thoughts turned to his nightmare from before, he began to wonder if perhaps he was the missing heir.

No.

No, that would be impossible. Goblins couldn't have that sort of power. In fact, as he knew once a person became a goblin- whether by force from a faerie or by forcing a faerie to transform them into a fae, that person should have lost everything about themselves- their memories, their powers, everything that made a person who they are would be stripped away. That was what happened to him when the Blue Faerie made tried to make him a faerie without his consent. He lost his old life, and as far as he knew, the only was a goblin would get those memories back were if they were on their death bed.

As far as Bowie knew, Tobias Greene was dead.

However, Puck was once the lost prince's best friend, Michael Owens and when the Rebel Hero ascended into a new form on the day that Gramyre was executed- the very day that Bowie himself gained his current form, the bastard had gained new power as well. Was it possible that the new power gained, was really just power hidden inside Puck all along?

Could Bowie have his own power still waiting to be unearthed, more than what he could do already?

Before he could even check to make sure, however, the voice of a child drew the goblin out of his thoughts.

"You Witch!" a young girl cried, before throwing a rock at the pair. Though, as Bowie caught it just a moment before it hit the witch, he noticed that their assailant was just a twelve-year-old girl with tan skin, freckles and brown eyes. Though, she also seemed to hide her dark hair under a cap to dress as a boy in just a pair of striped, knee-length pants, a white shirt, a black vest, and suspenders, but since his large, pointed ears could help him reveal the child's gender, he really didn't understand why she did so.

"Young lady," Bowie then said as he lowered his arm and leaned on his cane in annoyance, "Why exactly are you throwing rocks at my companion?"

"I want her to lift the curse she put on Matron Kyrie, so she can take care of us again!" the girl said with a glare, while Bowie hummed in amusement as he looked towards Amelia, who he then noticed was actually fuming with anger.

"Amelia, what did you do, in order to get this little heroine against you?" the goblin then said, though his own glare made it quite clear he didn't want his ally to lie to him.

"Only what was deserved." Amelia said, " Also, that little brat is a thief and a liar, so I would suggest you take whatever she says with a mountain of salt."

"Oh really?" Bowie said as he looked towards the young hero, and also noticed the little rusty dagger at her hip, "Well, I don't see why we shouldn't stop by to see just how bad this curse is."

"What." both the girl and the Witch said in disbelief, before Amelia added, "Bowie, do I need to remind you that we have business in town, and do not have time to spare for a bunch of orphans and their bimbo of a matron?"

"Matron Kyrie is not a bimbo, you witch!" the girl snapped, "And she wouldn't be in the mess she's in if you hadn't cursed her!"

"And if she had minded her own business, she wouldn't be cursed," Amelia said while Bowie let out a groan as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Now, ladies do play nice." the goblin then said before turning towards the young girl, "If I keep Amelia on good behavior, will you lead us to this matron Kyrie? Who knows, I might be able to break it."

"Yeah, I think I can do that," the girl said with a nod, "Though, I wouldn't trust that witch, she's definitely hiding something nasty... dunno what it is, but I'm sure it's awful!"

Bowie merely coughed to clear his throat in agreement, before patting the girl's shoulder as he spoke. "Thank you for the warning, but I believe I have everything handled with this wicked witch. Now then, what exactly is your name, young Heroine?"

"Name's Anne!" the girl said with a grin, "And I'm gonna save Matron Kyrie, and the other orphans at Eleison from that witch's tyranny!"

"My, my, such bold ambitions for your age." Bowie said with a laugh, while Amelia decided to remain silent out of annoyance, "Taking on a witch already? You sure you don't want to start smaller? Try saving animals caught in a trap, or returning lost objects to their owners? What's next? Rescuing a prince from a curse?"

"Dunno yet." Anne said with a shrug, "Maybe when I'm older I'll go off to the mainland and travel as an adventurer, but circumstances kind of put me into fighting the witch you're with- though if she's holding you, hostage, eh, I guess I could rescue you too."

"Oh, I don't need a rescue." Bowie said as he gave a small smirk, "I'm the bad guy."

"What? No way!" Anne said in surprise, "You seem like a pretty cool person, for a goblin anyway."

"Well, looks can be deceiving, young Anne." Bowie said with a laugh, "After all, Amelia is my servant, though, if she did something truly horrible to your village of Eleison-"

"It's not a village. It's the name of the orphanage I live at." Anne said, catching Bowie off guard, "The Eleison Orphanage. It's right down the road from that castle you two came from. Matron Kyrie normally tries to take care of us, but... well... I guess you'll just have to see for yourself if you think your servant has nothing to hide from you, Mister Bad Guy."

"Well, Amelia?" Bowie then said to the witch, causing the woman to flinch, "Do you mind if I investigate this matter? Anne does have a point- this shouldn't be too much of a problem if you have nothing to hide... unless this curse is much worse than you care to admit?"

"No. I do not mind at all." Amelia said through gritted teeth while glaring daggers at Anne as she whispered to the goblin, "Though, I think you just got outsmarted by a heroine already, my lord. After all, didn't you, a villain, just say you'd break a curse for her?"

"Yes, but only because I'm bored." Bowie whispered back, "Besides if I get some people to genuinely like me in the area, it'd make it harder for the actual heroes to justify themselves for wanting to defeat me."

"I can see your reasoning there, Bowie but... does it have to start with  _that_  orphan?" Amelia hissed, "She's a thief! And now that she knows you're a villain, she'll probably invade the sanctuary more often and cause trouble for our plans!"

"Good! That'll keep us on our toes and also give me something to do while I wait for the real heroes to show up!" Bowie whispered back with a grin, "Honestly Amelia, I cannot see anything wrong with this at all. I get to practice for my speeches and self-defense, and you get to have one less thing to worry about while you go out on field duty more often- well, once my time in need of a nurse is done... which will be quite soon, I assure you."

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Anne then said as she looked over her shoulder at the pair, who looked towards the girl, and also saw the rundown, two-story building the child called home. There was a wooden sign out front with painted letters saying "Eleison Orphanage," and though there were other children playing outside with a ball, the moment they spotted the woman in the red cloak they ran inside in fear.

"Matron?" Anne called as she ran inside the building, while Bowie followed after her with Amelia lagging behind, the blonde witch clearly unhappy about being in the home of what may have been her arch nemesis on Labrys, "Matron Kyrie?"

As Bowie sat down on a nearby couch facing the stairway, he waited in silence as he heard something walking overhead, while also spotting with his good eyes the two nervous children from before, and also giving them a small wave and a smile to try and calm them down. Though they instead ducked around the corner, the goblin sighed as the footsteps grew louder before a figure descended the stairs.

"Anne?" a voice growled, "Are you back alreadeeeeee!?"

The owner of the voice had tripped, and before Bowie had known it, he found himself on the stairs holding steady a blind woman with fangs and horns, scars upon her face and hands, warts on her nose, a wooden leg that poked out of the skirt of her brown dress, grass instead of hair, and overall looked like she'd been hit with so many curses at once, it was hard to figure out what all had been done to her. She was going to be a challenge to fix, the goblin knew, but he did want to make sure he'd get some orphans on his side for the future after all. Of course, as the goblin looked at the poor woman, he also felt a tug at his heart, and for a moment could see that there was something truly beautiful behind this monstrous form given to her by the curse. Not to mention, he wasn't even sure how he got to the stairs from the couch so fast and wondered briefly if he had teleported.

Yet most curious of all, Bowie couldn't help but feel like he'd met this woman before.

"H-Hello?" the woman then said, "Is... someone there?"

"Yes, there is." Bowie said as he walked the Matron down the stairs, while also catching a glare from Amelia, "I am Bowie, the Goblin that lives at the castle up the road as of a couple of weeks ago."

"Kyrie Eleison," the monstrous woman said, which caused Bowie to find the woman's name to sound almost musical as it echoed in his mind, "And did you just say the castle? Does... does this mean you live with that awful witch, Amelia?"

"Yes, but she has been quite kind to me," Bowie said though he was now starting to have his doubts as Anne entered the living room in worry, before leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Amelia Red is not kind!" Kyrie said, while also unaware that the witch in question was in the room, "She cursed me while I was protecting Anne, all because she tried to get some food for us from the castle larder."

"It's true," Anne said a bit sheepishly, "but, times are tough in Labrys, and the witch bought a ton of food before Matron Kyrie could get a chance to buy any for us here at the orphanage, which meant we had to starve unless someone did something. So... I had to break into the castle to get some food, that's it."

Bowie was silent for a moment while escorting Kyrie to a nearby armchair so she could sit down. Though, once the matron was comfortable, he stepped away and looked towards Amelia and growled.

"Amelia. Is this true?" he then said, causing Kyrie to flinch and whimper in fear.

"Yes," The witch then said, "My apologies, Bow-"

"Amelia, I think this time you are simply apologizing to stay in my good graces," Bowie then said as he did his best to hold back his anger, "Now, I want you to remove the curse on Matron Eleison.  _Now_. _"_

"I can't," Amelia then said.

"Can't? or Won't?" Bowie asked, his patience starting to grow thin as he glared at the witch.

"Can't." Amelia said coldly, "The bimbo's sacrifice by getting in between me and the brat when I cast the curse originally did something to it, causing what you see now. There was a magical backlash to the point that I can't even recall the original spell I used, so I'm not even sure if it can be removed."

Bowie was quiet for a moment, before looking back at Kyrie and Anne, and thought about what was done to cause this mess they were in. Yes, Anne was wrong for trying to rob Amelia, but it was out of necessity, however, if Kyrie was willing to take the punishment for the young thief to the point it had gotten to, then he felt responsible to at least try and fix this mess, right?

Not to mention, he was not happy that Amelia did this, especially since in a way, it reminded him of his own situation as a Goblin.

"Amelia," Bowie then said as he held out his hand, "give me the funds for today's shopping trip, and return to the castle."

"Wh-what?" Amelia said in surprise.

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Amelia." Bowie said with a glare, "The funds. Now. I will handle shopping on my own, and will return to the castle later. Consider this a punishment."

"Y-Yes sir." Amelia then said as she reached into her cloak and gave the goblin a large pouch of gold coins and small gems to trade at the market. After that, she got up, and left the orphanage, while Anne quickly headed to the kitchen to make tea, as well as avoid getting cursed by the witch on her way out and also enjoy seeing Amelia get treated the same way the witch treated them.

"Why did you do that?" Kyrie then asked before Bowie went over to the blind woman to hold her hand.

"It seemed to be the right thing to do, I guess." the goblin then said with a shrug, "Personally though, I really have no clue."

"Well, thank you, even if you're not sure." Kyrie said with a smile, "Do you have any idea what you'll do next? Besides shopping, apparently?"

"Well, I did tell Anne that I intend to help you, maybe even lift the curse Amelia placed on you as well as see about getting some food for you and the orphans here," Bowie then explained with a smirk, "I do so enjoy a challenge, after all, and--"

"SWEET CRACKERNUTS!" Anne shouted then, before running into the living room, while Bowie frowned as his ears twitched in annoyance over the ruined moment.

"Anne, what's wrong?" Kyrie said, as other orphans in the building started coming into the main room to see what was going on, all of them younger than Anne as Bowie noticed.

"I was tryin' to make some tea with what you managed to get from the market before... the incident, and when I looked out the window, this tree just suddenly shot up out of the ground bearin' all sorts of fruit! Apples, oranges, lemons, pears, cherries... I... I don't know how to explain it! Also, there's some actual grass and flowers on the road, like in those books ya got about the other kingdoms!"

"What?" Kyrie said as she got up, while Bowie looked rather surprised as he decided to head outside to investigate. Much to his surprise, the path he walked from the castle did indeed have grass and a few small flowers growing where he walked, and as Anne said, there was indeed a tree with all sorts of fruit growing outside the kitchen window. Though, he wasn't quite sure yet if this was really him, and so he decided to walk backward around the orphanage.

His green eye widened as he saw flowers bloom and grass grow in his footsteps.

 _This... this can't be happening._  he thought to himself as he stumbled a bit and found himself caught by a large colocasia coming out of the ground to act as a chair,  _But, how!? I'm a Goblin! I shouldn't have access to Tobias' old powers! Shouldn't I? I'm not even him anymore! The Blue Faerie made sure of that! I'm Bowie! Why the hell did Labrys choose me!? I mean, I'm the Villain! I'm supposed to well, not have this sort of power!_  
  
Though, as he looked around and saw the beauty of nature, and the smiles on the orphans faces as they came out of the building to actually harvest the fruit from their new tree, he did start to have second thoughts.

 _On the other hand... maybe restoring Labrys could be a good thing. Who said a villain had to be completely evil and a tyrant, anyway? After all, I did say earlier that getting people to genuinely like me, would make it harder for heroes to justify kicking my ass, didn't I? Yes, YES! Of course, I can definitely use this to my advantage! What other way of earning the people's trust and love is there than restoring Labrys? A few good deeds to cement my place here in Labrys as a good ruler, combined with some misdeeds to bait the heroes..._

 _Oh yes, I can definitely see a new plan forming! Hmm... best not think too much about it for now. No telling who might be looking into my mind from afar._  
  
With that thought in mind, Bowie than got up and with a spin, gave a hearty laugh as the orphans started surrounding the Goblin, asking all sorts of questions about plants and flowers- the youngest ones having never even seen the books Anne had mentioned yet, apparently, while Kyrie exited the building with Anne guiding her, before stopping as she sniffed the air.

"Oh, my!" she said, "The very air has certainly changed, Mister Goblin, did you really cause some plants to grow in Labrys like Anne's implying with the tree?"

"Apparently so!" Bowie said with a grin, before extending a hand and seeing the land itself growing a bouquet of pink hydrangeas for the goblin as he grabbed them and after a bit of focus, teleported over to the beastly matron to give them to her. "Here."

"Oh!" Kyrie said in surprise, before blushing a bit as she did her best to feel the flowers as gently as possible, "They smell lovely, thank you."

"You're quite welcome." Bowie said with a smile, "Now then, I believe I must be going, however... I might come by tomorrow if you'd like."

"W-Well..." Kyrie said with a slight mewl to her voice, before Anne spoke for her.

"YES!" the girl said, "You come by, and be awesome for us again! BUT LEAVE THAT DAMN WITCH BEHIND!"

"I'll do my best." Bowie said with a bow, "Now then... which way to town?"

~0~

The trip to town went much better than expected for the Goblin King as he rode into the castle courtyard on his new steed- a horse made of vines and wood that he had summoned from the ground itself as an experiment on his way back from town. That, and also because his legs had gotten tired from all the walking he'd done today.

"Thank you, Buttercup," he said to his steed as he dismounted the plant beast as it sunk back into the ground for now before he dusted off his new outfit- a dark blue shirt with a black waistcoat and a white, fanning cravat, as well as a new, dark green and silver chinoiserie styled frock coat imported from Clawthorn. Combined with the new brown pants and black boots he had on, as well as the tilted black tricorn with deep blue feathers fanning out at the back of it on top of his head, Bowie grinned as the Goblin finally considered himself as looking dapper, now that he had something that was considered fashionable nowadays.

Much better than the black shirt and pants he'd been sleeping in when he'd been captured over a millennium ago, that's for sure. Even better, he'd also gotten himself a brand new wardrobe while in town, as well as supplies for the orphans at Eleison, decorations for the castle, and finally a pair of crowns- one for himself once he decided to have an official coronation upon completing his restoration of the castle, and the other for his pet project concerning Jonathan White.

The crowns, he decided to carry back to the castle himself, while the rest he had delivered to their proper destinations- though, he did stop by the Eleison Orphanage to show off a bit with Buttercup.

Of course, the best part of all was that during his shopping trip, he didn't have to spend a thing as due to the flowers trailing him as he walked and the legend about the land itself selecting its ruler, the citizens of the port town of Peia were more than happy to let Bowie have things for free. Especially if it meant getting actual farmland for them to use, and not rely on imported produce all the time.

Still, as he walked into the castle proper with the two crowns he bought, he knew he'd need to discuss some things with Amelia as soon as possible.

~0~

"Sir?" Amelia said in her and Bowie's chambers as the Goblin had arrived after dinner, and explained to her about a new arrangement for the future.

"I said, I'd like to sleep alone in here tonight, and every night from now on." the goblin said as he sat down in his new, comfortable red chair, while mentally thanking Karas for helping to arrange the furniture once it arrived at the castle. His legs crossed as he glared at Amelia with his good eye.

"But, Bowie- what about your condition?" she said, "We don't know if the venom is-"

"It's gone, Amelia." Bowie said, "I can feel it. My eye is regenerating, and while it does feel odd, I did not even have to take the anti-venom while I was out on the town. I'm fine."

"I... I see." Amelia then said quietly, "And if you have another nightmare, like this morning? I'm sure you should have another person in the room, in case of emergencies."

"Oh yes, treat a grown goblin like a child." Bowie said flatly, "Haven't had  _that_  before. Honestly, Amelia, if you're trying to remind me of life in the empire, you're doing too good of a job! I'm actually wishing I'd joined Puck and his Rebellion, instead of being coddled all the damn time by that hag, Tara!"

Amelia was silent then, her mouth open in shock before she closed it and turned around to leave the room.

"I... I see," she then said as she moved to leave the room, "I'll... I'll go find another room then. Goodnight, Bowie."

"Goodnight, Amelia," Bowie said with a harrumph as the witch left his sight before he sank into his chair and hung his legs over the arm as he looked up at the ceiling of his chambers. He then watched as Karas poked his head out from the canopy that now covered the goblin's bed, before the Tarotica flipped down onto the bed itself and sat down, resting its head on a hand as its breathing apparatus had repaired itself, though, the Hierophant also looked different than before.

Mainly due to the new coat it sported, to better "blend in" when out in the field, and as the Tarotica Major used his good arm to pull out an officer's cap and place it on his head, Bowie couldn't help but feel that the disguise was rather fitting for the Hierophant.

"Women troubles... my lord?" Karas said in his usual pained tone, while Bowie grumbled.

"Yes." the goblin then said as he covered his eyes with a hand, "I just have no idea how to form a connection with Amelia, Karas. I tried, but... honestly? I feel like she's just... so closed off from the world with her secrets, that I don't know if I can trust her!"

"Well... it does seem she does have a secret... or two, Bowie." Karas said, which caused the goblin to sit up and look at the creature with interest, "While I was in Thornsborough... I encountered a man named Tyler Williamson, who claimed he saw Amelia Red die. Sadly, all I could get out of him before he... perished in an accident was that it happened in Spherean... so I don't know the full details..."

"I see," Bowie said as he stood up and stretched a bit before he began to disrobe. "Karas, when you've recovered, I'd like you to investigate this matter and report to me your findings as soon as you can."

"Of course... my lord," Karas said as he got up and gave a bow, before teleporting out of the room, while Bowie laid down on his bed and sighed, this new information certainly surprising him. If Amelia truly was undead, it'd certainly explain a bit about her behavior. However, he recalled her having a pulse and a warmth to her body. So, he knew she couldn't be some sort of necromantic monster...

Right?

 _So many questions,_  he thought as he closed his eyes to rest for the night,  _Perhaps though, the answers will arrive in time. After all, the truth comes out eventually... I mean, that damn stag Pietro of all things should be proof of that. Of course, today was rather eventful... I'm apparently the king of a sentient kingdom, I've befriended Amelia's archnemesis, found out my caretaker has done some things that actually anger me, and oh yes, with the whole King thing, Prince Jonathan has become more important than before, which means... he's going to need to be convinced to become my coach in ruling a kingdom. Great. Well, I'll work on that tomorrow. Sleep is needed now.  
_  
And so, the Goblin King of Labrys drifted off into the land of dreams, with hopes that this time, there'd be no Blue Faerie to haunt them.

~0~

"Damn that knight's luck! I don't know how he found the toad and broke the curse I cast, but he did!" said Netanel as he walked the woods around Unicorn's Blade around midnight, before he found what he was looking for- a large burial mound the size of a warhorse. "It shouldn't have to be like this, but... I have no other option. This will be the only way to get rid of that knight, and anyone else who stands between me and my wife! We should have been happy! But Marik... he did something to Renee! He made her hate me, despise me! Turned her against me and tricked her into telling him where to find my sanctuary! Why else would she go to him so quickly when he and her father arrived before we could enact the ceremony? It had to be an enchantment, that had to be the reason!"

He paused and chuckled a bit as he pulled a bottle of white liquid from his robe before a manic grin spread across his face as he continued to rant to himself, not once thinking that perhaps he was the problem, instead of someone else.

"But, it'll be alright. Once I get my dear Renee back, I'll examine the magic she's been hit with, and tear it apart... she'll be back to being my darling wife in no time! I don't get what she sees in that idiot knight anyway. I'm a mage! I'm powerful, I'm amazing! I plan on becoming an immortal machine with Renee- whether she wants it or not! Why would she want someone else? Maybe she and I just need plenty of alone time before I let her out again, once I get her back, of course, not going to make sure she sees her family for a while... hmm... maybe set up shop in Labrys too. Don't think anyone would find us there..."

He then shook his head out of his thoughts, before turning his attention back to the mound before him and chanted a spell as he poured the contents, and took a step back.

"Fallen creature of rage and lust, I summon you to my aid- attack all but me and my white-haired darling Renee, and let the vengeance of your death drive you back to life! RISE MY KEY TO VICTORY! RISE!"

Netanel then watched as the mound quivered and broke apart as a unicorn's shadow leaped out and reared back against the moon overhead, a fog rolling in as its red eyes began to give off the only light within the forest grove.

All Netanel could do now, was laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title comes from the song Kyrie by Mr. Mister.
> 
> This chapter actually has two counterparts introduced. The first is obvious with well, Anne. The other counterpart, though, is Holly Jones, who may or may not be Holy Joestar's counterpart.
> 
> Or I could just be screwing with y'all on the second one. Time will tell.
> 
> Now, as for Bowie's nightmare, it not only reveals some stuff about his past, but also reveals what the Blue Faerie was actually like. I hope I pulled off just how creepy I intended her to be- which is pretty much ALL THE NOPES IN THE MULTIVERSE. 
> 
> Also, in regards to Michael Owens... well, since I channeled Gargoyles into Puck, I figured I could reference that series again with well, Michael's last name and appearance. Which is... pretty much a teenage version of Owen from that cartoon.
> 
> Eyup. 
> 
> As for Fanterra!Anne's comment of "SWEET CRACKERNUTS!" That's actually a reference to a fairy tale called "Kate Crackernuts" and y'all should just read it cause I don't think I could describe it right now and do it justice. It's just that awesome a story.
> 
> And yes, Bowie gets new powers because he's basically Labrys' Fisher King, and the thing with little Toby's world might hint at the "Labrys Incident" that's classified for Fang and Ricky. Oh, and Bowie of course gets some nice clothes and a sweet new hat. BEcause dammit, if he's going to be a bad guy, he's going to need to look the part dammit! ESPECIALLY since he's going up against some Jojo characters. 
> 
> Also, Anne and Bowie being neighbors. What could possibly happen, besides well, Amelia getting driven nuts by her arch-nemesis visiting the castle often?
> 
> Finally, Netanel's segment at the end.... yeah. I have nothing to say.


	23. Riding a Black Unicorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierre has a dream, Joseph and Jotaro chat, Pietro gets an idea, and Veronica gets to meet Aeon.

He could feel the heat in the void around him. He knew he was dreaming, that was the only explanation as to why he could feel his legs again, but as Pierre Polheffer looked around him in the surrounding void, all he could feel was the heat of a volcano.

He blinked, and the void was replaced by a cliff overlooking a barren wasteland. He wanted to speak, to call out to see if anyone was there, but his voice refused to work.

Then, came the sound of hoofbeats behind him.

Pierre turned and looked upon the black, blue-eyed unicorn that had arrived, and quickly moved as the beast had tried to run him down. As he continued to face down the unicorn though, he noticed that those blue eyes that glared at him seemed to hold an unnatural intelligence as it waited for the man to make a move.

It was waiting for Pierre to attack.

"Who are you?" Pierre finally willed himself to say, deciding not to fight just yet, "What do you want?"

The unicorn looked on in surprise, before throwing his head back and laughing. Then, he pawed at the ground with a hoof and as Pierre guessed it would, spoke.

"So, you're not a complete idiot of a potential master." the unicorn then said, "'What I want, is to see if you've got what it takes to control me. After all, if you're to be my wielder, human, I want to make sure you're not worthless."

"And how, exactly, do you want to test my worth?" Pierre said, "If you are what I think you to be, Unicorn, then I thought I proved my worth by pulling you free!"

"Not quite." the beast said as it drew closer to the knight, "You pulled my prison out of the stone because that hellish fae fell for you. You won her heart for now, but just because you got the girl, doesn't mean I'm as willing to trust a new master just yet."

"What must I do, then?" Pierre then said while the beast laughed again before kneeling before the knight.

"Get on my back, and hold on tight." the unicorn then said as it indicated the mountain they were on, and the rough road to the bottom of it. Though once Pierre did so, the beast rose up as the ground began to rumble before laughing once more.  _"Now the trial begins!"  
_  
Pierre could barely react before he heard an explosion behind him, followed by the unicorn galloping away. As he looked behind him and saw that the mountain was actually a volcano that had begun to erupt, he knew then and there that he didn't need a better reason to hold on tightly. Especially since the unicorn was moving faster than any steed he'd seen at the academy. In fact, as he recalled the story of Tristan Aifread's time as a stag, he wondered if this unicorn was at least half as fast as Tristan had been- especially since the story had mentioned the man's cursed form had been able to go from a forest close to Clawthorn's border to the desert of Scherezade in only a few moments.

Pierre then tightened his grip as he had almost fallen off the beast and into the lava chasing them.

"Careful you do not fall off!" the unicorn then said with a laugh as he continued to run, and even leaped across a wide crag like it was nothing, "I would so hate for you to be injured in the trial, my potential master!"

"Is this not a dream?" Pierre asked as he leaned forward on the unicorn's back.

"In a sense, but any damage you gain will carry over into the waking world!" The unicorn the said with sadistic glee, "I would be so regretful if my new master were to be burned alive! Not to mention, if you were to die, what do you think would happen?"

Pierre said nothing, as he thought about the mage causing his hometown nothing but trouble, and also what would happen to Renee. While he knew that Marik would do his damnedest to keep his sister safe from her ex-husband, Pierre also worried that the mage would pull a vile trick to capture Renee, and possibly kill anyone who got in his way.

What's more, he worried what Netanel would do to his own family, if the knight's death wasn't enough to keep the monster away from harming them.

He refused to let that happen, especially if it meant Renee, Sherry, and his parents getting harmed or worse.

"I refuse to die here!" Pierre said as the unicorn crossed another crag, and also tightened his grip on the beast's mane as it continued to run, "I will not let Netanel harm those I love!"

"So, you have a reason to fight." the unicorn then said, "Excellent! Now I can go faster!"

True to its word, the unicorn's speed increased, causing Pierre to hold on even tighter than before as he soon ran along the walls of a tunnel, the lava chasing them starting to fall back. Still, Pierre could feel the heat as he held on, especially as the unicorn started running along the tunnel's ceiling as it spiraled down the tunnel. Though, when it exited the tunnel, Pierre heard the whistling of boulders being thrown through the air, causing the unicorn to dodge and weave through the raining death from above.

Still, Pierre held on as the beast spoke again.

"Tell me, potential master," he said, "What is your name?"

"Pierre Vojtech Polheffer!" the knight said, "And your own?"

"If you make it to the bottom, I shall tell you!" the unicorn said as it kept running and dodging the incoming fiery boulders, "What do you want most from life?"

"To protect those I care about as a Knight!" Pierre said, wondering just why the unicorn was asking him these questions before he realized that this may have been another test.

"Oh?" the unicorn then said in surprise, "And if those you cared about were to be taken from you, what then?"

"Then I'll do what it takes to find them, and get them home safely!" Pierre said, while still holding on tightly to the unicorn's mane.

"What if it is Death that takes them away?"

Pierre flinched at the question, but still, he held fast as he let out a growl of anger.

"If they are murdered, then I shall do what it takes to find the one who committed the deed, and I will deliver justice." he then said, while the Unicorn was silent for a moment.

"But whose justice? Your own, or the justice you were trained to carry out?" the beast then said, a smirk on its face as Pierre realized what it was doing.

"The justice I was trained to follow," Pierre said as he tightened his grip on the unicorn's mane, "Arrest them, let them have a trial, and when they are found guilty, execute them."

"And if they are not found guilty, will you execute them yourself?" the unicorn said, while Pierre glared at the back of the beast's head.

"Killing them myself, will not bring back those I lose." the knight said, "I admit, that I have killed one of those monsters that tried to harm my sister, but it was unintentional."

"Do you feel regret, for that?" the unicorn said, while Pierre took a moment to think.

"I do, but I cannot let my guilt break my resolve to make sure I do my job," Pierre said, while the unicorn laughed once more.

"Then it seems you aren't so pure-hearted after all!" the unicorn said, "Excellent! I may enjoy serving you, after all, Potential Master! Now, I can go even faster than before!"

The beast then picked up even more speed as it jumped across a ravine, the wind whipping at Pierre's face. Still, the knight held on tightly as the lava flow continued behind them, no longer at the unicorn's heels, but still following. Soon, the unicorn and his rider were in a canyon, running between stalagmites thrusting out of the ground, and even running along the walls when the ground below became too dangerous to traverse. In fact, the unicorn began running and climbing up the wall as he moved, and upon reaching the top, leaped upward and landed safely on the mountainside.

Still, the main trial wasn't over, and Pierre knew that if he let go even once, especially now that the unicorn was moving like the wind! As the ride continued though, all Pierre could hear was the burning fires around them before smoke surrounded both unicorn and rider. Even as the embers within the smoke stung his eyes and forced him to keep them shut, or as the smoke choked him and made it hard to breathe, he still focused on holding onto the unicorn's mane. The beast would then start bucking, attempting to get the stubborn rider off of him as the unicorn put all its strength into wild movement. When that failed, he would run along the walls and ceilings of any tunnels they entered on the mountainside, running as fast as he could just to try and force his rider off of his back and strand him on the mountain.

Still, Pierre held on.

"Why won't you let go!?" the unicorn shouted in anger as it leaped over another ravine.

"Because I will not let myself die while I still have people to protect!" Pierre shouted back, "You may do what you will to me, but I started this trial when I mounted you, and I intend to finish it!"

"You are more stubborn than my last master!" the unicorn said, "That damned farmboy promised to treat me with respect, and I ended up in a damn rock for two hundred and fifty years! He never called on me when I gave him my name! He never showed me a lick of respect after he got his princess! That black knight with the dragon Danti'lethfel was a blessing in disguise, despite the hell I was put in because of them! I will not be broken, again, Pierre! My body may be gone, corrupted, but my spirit remains stronger than before!"

"If your spirit is so strong as you claim," Pierre then said as he felt his fingers ache from how long he held on so far, "Then why don't you say your name? Have you forgotten it, in all the years you were imprisoned!?"

"NEVER!" The unicorn shouted as Pierre opened his eyes once again, and saw that no longer were they on the mountain, but in a green field full of life as the sun shone down upon them.

"Then what is your name, Unicorn?" Pierre said, grinning as he looked back and saw the mountain far behind them.

"I am Alexandros!" the unicorn then said, "And if you'll let me, Master, I shall come to you when I am called upon by name!"

"As I have passed your trial, then I shall, Alexandros!" Pierre said as he felt a saddle appear beneath him, and the mane he held be replaced with reins, "I swear, I will be a better master than the hero who slain you!"

"Then our contract is made." Alexandros said as the unicorn began slowing down, "However, I must ask you a favor."

"And what would that be?" Pierre then asked as he sat up straight on his steed's back.

_"My body has been tainted by a bastard. Find it, and slay it with the blade I'm imprisoned in, won't you?"_

~0~

Pierre awoke that morning with Alexandros' words ringing in his mind. However, the unicorn's voice was soon replaced with the pain of a pounding head, stiff arms, and in spite of his missing legs, he also had the annoying feeling of an itching foot. Combined with a headache he had, the sore throat and how his eyes stung from the sunlight entering through the window, he partially wondered if he'd gotten drunk and dreamt the events of yesterday.  
  
That is until he sat up and saw Renee Zavriel sleeping in a chair at the foot of his bed, and guarding the very sword he'd drawn by accident the day before. While he was a bit relieved that she was there, a certain stipulation of their relationship then wormed its way back into his mind. So, once he locked his prosthetic legs into place, he got up and carefully woke up Renee by touching her shoulder. He didn't want to touch her face after hearing how her ex-husband had awoken her in the past, just in case it caused her to react badly to Pierre.  
  
He sincerely wanted to make sure Renee would be able to move on from what that bastard did to her, no matter how long it took. However, while he personally believed that no one deserved to be treated as less than a person, he honestly couldn't bring himself to do the same when it came to Netanel. He knew that as a Knight of Clawthorn, he had to be impartial when it came to these situations, yet with Netanel attacking his town, putting those he loved in danger and even trying to kill someone Pierre had practically grown up around, he just couldn't find the will to treat Netanel like a person. Instead, Pierre Polheffer wanted to crush Netanel under his heel like the cockroach he was.  
  
That thought alone, frightened the Knight more than anything, in all honesty.  
  
Renee let out a soft growl then, drawing Pierre out of his thoughts as he watched the hellhound faerie awaken. She let out a yawn then, showing the knight her fangs as she blinked away the sleepiness of her eyes, and found Pierre's hand on the shoulder attached to her more monstrous arm.  
  
"Hmm... morning," she said with a small smile, before using her more human arm to rub her eyes, "Did you sleep alright?"  
  
"Yes I did," Pierre said, "How well did you sleep?"  
  
"Not too bad... well, when people stopped coming in to steal the sword... or do things to you, anyway," Renee said as her chain sprung to life, and the pointed weight at the end moved to point to a small pile of people in the corner, all knocked out. "By the way Pierre, I was getting tired of beating up people during the night... so I just used a couple of links from my chain to make a new lock for your window."  
  
As Pierre looked towards the window and saw a new, golden lock keeping it closed, the knight found himself surprised to learn that Renee could use her chain to do something like this. Though, his mind did go back to Marik's curse as he remembered the pile of people in the corner.  
  
"Uh... thanks?" Pierre said before he shook the surprise away and focused on the more important matter, "Renee, did they find out about... well, you-know-what?"  
  
As the hellhound faerie saw Pierre point to his bracelet, the half-awake hybrid yawned and shook her head as she answered him. "Don't worry Pierre, the secret's still safe... as far as your family and Fang know, I only stayed in your room to protect you and the sword."  
  
"I-I see," Pierre said as he blushed thanks to how protective Renee was, though as he recalled his dream, any doubts he had about Renee only protecting the sword she made fled his mind.  
  
 _"You pulled my prison out of the stone because that hellish fae fell for you."_  
  
As he recalled Alexandros' words, he smiled as he realized that as Renee had fallen for him, he had fallen for her as well. Of course, they only had one more day after this one, before they could safely tell everyone about their engagement. He wasn't going to risk his sister's or even Renee's health because he got cocky, and he wasn't going to give Marik a bad impression either by failing this test he was given.  
  
With this thought in mind, Pierre then grabbed some shackles from his dresser- in case he had caught people trying to break into his home, and slapped them onto the would-be thieves before he woke them up and escorted them out of his home with Renee by his side. Though it would probably cost him breakfast, he still had to make sure these people had been sent to the town jail, and besides, he could always get something from the bakery afterward.

~0~

In the town of Thornsborough, Jotaro Kujo was up bright and early, knowing that with Carmen having agreed the night before to help Irene they'd be preparing to get supplies for the road ahead today. Though while they had plenty of food and drink thanks to Pietro's magical table, they still needed medical supplies in case Irene's magic wasn't enough, or if something happened to Irene while on the road, as well as more ammunition for Joseph to use with his Hamon.  
  
 _Speaking of the old man,_  Jotaro thought as he walked down the hall,  _Did he even get to bed last night?  
_  
Much to his surprise, Joseph was in Carmen's kitchen, grinding coffee beans and boiling water in a pot as he muttered to himself, instead of crashing on Carmen's couch and snoring up a storm.  
  
"Have you been up all night, Gramps?" Jotaro asked as he sat down at the table, and also catching Joseph by surprise.  
  
"Huh? Oh, Jotaro... yeah, I guess so." Joseph said though the teen got the feeling something was bothering him again.  
  
"You shouldn't do that," Jotaro then said, "Your body may be young again, but you're still an old man. Not to mention we're not sure how long this will even last."  
  
"I know, I know..." Joseph said with a sigh as he poured himself some fresh coffee, "Hmm... still can't believe how good this stuff is compared to back home- Anyway, I'm surprised you're starting to care about your grandfather in his old age. When our journey started, you were a little prick."  
  
"Yeah..." Jotaro said with a slight tone of guilt in his voice as he adjusted his hat.  
  
"That asshole got to you somehow, didn't he?" Joseph then said as he set a mug of coffee down in front of his grandson, who flinched a bit before looking away. "Geeze, what did he say to you, anyway?"  
  
"He... claimed he saw my future," Jotaro said, causing Joseph to lean forward after he'd sat down across from Jotaro.  
  
"What did he see?" Joseph then asked with a sly grin, "Going by this world's view on things, he saw you living happily ever after, right?"  
  
"No, he didn't." Jotaro said, "He... He said he saw me driving away my own family- not just you, or mom, or Grandma Suzie, but... well, my wife and daughter... and any attempts to reconcile with that daughter would kill us both in the end."  
  
"Sounds pretty fishy..." Joseph said with a frown, "I mean, yeah, it sounds like a possible future, but how would this guy even know that? I mean what is he, legitimately psychic? And does he even know what world this future takes place in? As long as he doesn't know we're not from Fanterra, you still have a chance he'd be wrong, don't you?"  
  
"He knows about our world." Jotaro said, "Somehow when he locks eyes with someone, he can see their entire lives- even their most likely future... that's not something you can fake easily."  
  
"Wait, what did he say exactly?" Joseph said, "Because this does sound like an elaborate con to me, did he mention any names?"  
  
"Yeah," Jotaro said, "Kakyoin, Avdol and Polnareff... and he even said that Polnareff seemed more interesting than I did because according to him, I have fewer emotions than a rock, and expect people to know what I'm thinking."  
  
"Okay, I can't really disagree with him on the emotions thing, but you do tend to come off as unreadable without your stand emoting for you... but still, he knew all that? Just by looking in your eyes? When did he even do all that?"  
  
"Probably when I beat the crap out of him when we got to town," Jotaro said, before frowning as he crossed his arms and added, "Still, me being a father? Can you believe that?"  
  
"Hey, it's your future," Joseph said, "I say don't worry about it or you'll screw up and make it happen anyway- that, I picked up from a couple of comic books back home."  
  
"Right..." Jotaro grumbled before changing the subject, "So, any idea what this place even is?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Joseph asked as he looked at his grandson in confusion, "If you're saying this place can't be real, well... it certainly feels that way."  
  
"That's exactly what I mean." Jotaro said, "I still think this place is too... weird to even be related to our world or even be another one. Magic? The fact that everyone is able to see our stands? I think that gateway we entered after that thing, Karas, is messing with our heads. I mean, how else could you be a young man again? Not to mention... I feel like Pietro can't be trusted."  
  
"Pietro? But he's helped us so far, hasn't he?" Joseph asked, "Why can't you trust him?"  
  
"He's too honest." Jotaro said, "With a personality like that... I don't know, something doesn't sit right with me about the guy- he can fight but refuses to do so, he's got a sadistic streak.... honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he's really as bad as DIO from back home, and is just leading us along."  
  
"You think he might be a disciple of Dio, and that this world is Pietro's creation?" Joseph then asked, before looking worried, "It may explain while there's a King Dio here, but... I don't think a disciple would know what Erina or Jonathan would look like, or even Speedwagon, Kars, and Wamuu."  
  
"Probably," Jotaro said, "But if this is actually another world with alternates of people from our own... then where are our alternates?"  
  
"Maybe they don't exist yet, or they're already dead." Joseph said with a shrug before he gave a large yawn and got up to leave the room, "Anyway, I think I'm going to hit the hay, talk to you later..."  
  
"Later," Jotaro said as he was soon alone in the kitchen, and took a sip of his coffee, only to pause as he thought he saw Pietro's reflection in the window.  
  
 _How long was he listening in?_  Jotaro thought, but knew that if Pietro was going to kill them, he'd have done so by now... then again, he was probably waiting to get Jotaro's trust completely.  
  
Jotaro, could not yet be sure if Pietro could be completely trusted. Then again, he wasn't even sure if he and Joseph could get home at all. Though, if the secret to getting home involved playing along, for now, they'd have no choice but to seek out Karas' master, "Bowie," beat the crap out of him, and if needed... do the same to Pietro as well.  
  
Both he and Joseph had someone waiting for them back home, after all.

~0~

In Pietro's bedroom, the stag himself sat on his bed in worry. After doing his best to help so far by acting as a guide to Fanterra without killing anyone, and even helping save Joseph's life, the fact that Jotaro didn't trust him stung.  
  
Then again, he really didn't do much, now that he thought about it. In fact, because Pietro's fear of killing someone if he fought, he had probably been more trouble than he was worth. Sure, he could step in when magic was involved thanks to his newfound powers, and while his antler broke the curse on Jotaro, he felt he couldn't really take credit for an accident. Not to mention that he probably hadn't done a good job in finding the prince, nor could he reconnect to Jotaro's apparent friend Polnareff when Marik had interfered before they could even confirm the man's status. Combined with the fact that he couldn't even stomach the possibility of killing again, just to protect his friends, Pietro honestly felt useless.  
  
However, Pietro also realized that if he was gone, then his friends would probably be defenseless against further attacks from the Tarotica. Yes, Jotaro had his anti-magic pin from Carmen, but she only had one pin to give, the rest of the group- Joseph, Irene, Alphonse and Carmen wouldn't be able to be so easily protected from curses or even potentially... kill... another Tarotica. Now that he thought about it, Veronica, Ricky, and Wamu probably needed protection as well, if there really were more Tarotica out there, and his antlers at the moment were much too short to break off and spread among his friends.  
  
His current pair, that is.  
  
 _My antlers from before should still be in the tower,_ he then thought to himself as an idea formed in his mind.  _Maybe, if I went back there and gathered all that I can, I could give some to my group, and then run across Fanterra to Ricky's group and give them the rest. Though I may need protection while I'm out there, perhaps... perhaps I can use that run to travel with Jotaro and earn his trust?_  
  
Pietro then nodded to himself as he got up to get dressed, and tied back his hair with a brown ribbon. Yes, it sounded like a good idea, but he may need a second opinion on it. Perhaps, if he saw Tyler Williamson, he could get a read on his future again, just like when he had met the maroon-eyed man very early on in his travels. In fact, while he understood why Jotaro couldn't trust him, he also felt that he had to at least try and earn his trust.  
  
Especially since Jotaro saw him spy on him and Joseph... which, probably really hurt any chances Pietro had of earning Jotaro's trust. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to try and show the teen that just because the stag was in the employ of a man with the face of Jotaro's worst enemy, apparently, it didn't mean that Pietro served that enemy specifically!  
  
And even if in the end, Jotaro never trusted Pietro, the stag would not give up. He would still pay back the favor he owed them for his freedom, even if it killed him in the process. That was what his aunt would want him to do after all. Well, that and try and survive and free Deerbank.  
  
Once he was dressed, Pietro then quickly packed his bag full of journals, seed samples, a suit of armor and a dagger, before he closed it up and left it in his room as he headed towards the window overlooking the town, and opened it.  
  
"Well, might as well go see Tyler." Pietro said with a small smile as he chuckled to himself, "My, it's been a long time since I'd done this, hasn't it?"  
  
With that said, he then jumped out the window, and after landing on his feet and twirled for a moment to regain his balance before he began walking into town- and to the tower of the magical ranger, Tyler.

~0~

In the town of Unicorn's Blade, Marik Zavriel held his brother Timothy's hand, while the minotaur faerie mooed and sang in joy. Little Timothy was, thanks to a cover story to Fang, going to be playing with Pierre that day, and so was rather excited. Marik, on the other hand, was simply going along to make sure his brother was safe, and also check in on Renee when she decided to stay at Pierre's home.  
  
As an older brother, he felt obligated to make sure his younger siblings didn't do anything they'd regret after all.  
  
  
As the two walked into town from the forest though, the pair were met with two people with silver hair- a young woman and a wolf that Marik recognized immediately.  
  
"Ricky Lupo and... Veronica, was it?" Marik then said with a bit of disdain in his voice, while Veronica frowned at the manticore.  
  
"You don't like humans very much, do you?" Veronica said flatly, while Marik grumbled,  
  
"Well, I've had a bad few days recently thanks to a human, can you blame me?" Marik said in response, "And shouldn't you be resting? You were just uncursed yesterday after all... it wouldn't do for Ethereas' bride to fall down dead because she couldn't take care of herself."  
  
"Thanks... I think." Veronica said, while unsure if Marik was being sincere with his concern or not, "Anyway, I'll be fine. Besides, I have a friend of your family to meet, remember?"  
  
"Y-You want to meet with Aeon,  _now!?"_  Marik said in surprise, visibly flinching as Ricky adjusted his hat in silence.  
  
"Marik, who's Aeon?" Timothy then asked, causing Marik to flinch again as he stumbled to try and answer his younger brother.  
  
"Uh... I-I'll... um... I'll tell you later, Timothy." Marik said before little Timothy tilted his head and asked, "Marik, are you dating somebody?"  
  
Never did Ricky or Veronica expect Marik's eyes to widen so much, or turn a glowing blue as he seemed to choke on his words.  
  
"NO!" Marik shouted, before realizing he was scaring his little brother and calmed down to add, "No, I'm not. Aeon is just a friend of the family Timothy. I'll introduce you to them when you're done with your playdate, ok?"  
  
"You mean it?" Timothy said with a smile as he also adjusted the white shirt he had on, before quickly bouncing on his hooves as Marik gave a small smile and nodded, "Yay! I can't wait to meet Aeon then!"  
  
Of course, once Marik noticed a sympathetic look from Veronica, he glared in a way that caused his still blue eyes to seemingly bore into Veronica's soul, "What's with that look?"  
  
"Just knowing how you feel, that's all... I got a little sister back home," Veronica said nervously, "Also.... why did your eyes turn from gold to blue?"  
  
"None of your business," Marik said as his eyes changed back to gold, "Anyway, your sister must be happy you're getting married... she's how old, 13? 14?"  
  
"She's five." Veronica said as she removed her glove to show Marik the crown shaped mark on her hand, "And she doesn't exactly know I'm here."  
  
"Right." Marik said, "Well, I can't just drop everything to escort you to Aeon, Veronica. After all, the Local Knight promised to play with Timothy today, and I need to make sure he keeps that promise."  
  
"Ya know, I could do it for ya, while you take Veze to Aeon," Ricky said as he tipped his hat back a bit, and also reminding Marik that he was there, "You're also here to check on your sister, right? I can do that too while I'm keeping an eye on the kid."  
  
"Why would you be so willing to do this for me?" asked Marik, his voice filled with suspicion for the wolf.  
  
"Simple, " Ricky then said, "If Veze needs to meet your family friend, but can't do it in public, then there's gotta be a good reason for it. Besides, if you make sure that Veze isn't walking into a trap... I'll be sure to consider keeping Timmy here safe while also checking on your sister and her fiance as a good way to repay ya."  
  
"And how did you know about that?" Marik said with a glare, "Did the knight tell you?"  
  
"Nah, I figured it out on my own," said Ricky with a shake of his head, "I mean, with how affectionate she was to Sir Polheffer yesterday, combined with the glimpse I caught of her bracelet, I assumed that he had the other one. Couldn't have been Fang after all."  
  
"You... don't seem to keen on your sister being engaged, are you?" Veronica said, while Marik simply growled in annoyance. Then, the manticore-faerie looked around to make sure no one was listening before he summoned a bubble around the four, and spoke.  
  
"The knight and I have an arrangement- he keeps the secret for a week, and his most cherished person doesn't fall ill." Marik said, "Though, I guess since he has to tell someone before the week is up, it doesn't stop others from figuring it out on their own. Should have made that a caveat... In any event, since today is the next to last day, I want to make sure he's been keeping his mouth shut- I'd rather not curse his most cherished person and then cure them, it'd... be rather cold, not to mention it'd put me in deep trouble with Renee's father if she's the one to fall ill."  
  
"That's a pretty low blow," said Veronica, "I mean, you put your own sister on the line!"  
  
"Listen, I'll explain things better later, ok?" Marik said in annoyance, "We are wasting time that could be spent speaking to Aeon! Now then Ricky, I expect my brother to be fine when I return... More importantly, I hope to know my sister is safe."  
  
"Don't worry, " said Ricky with a small smile as he reached to shake Marik's hand, "I'm escorting Veze to her Faerie Prince, remember? I know the dangers of pissing off one of the fair folk, so I expect you to keep Veze safe for me in return."  
  
The two men then shook hands in agreement before Marik gave Ricky a bracelet with two silver bells attached to it- a summoning charm in case there was an emergency. Then, they traded companions and Ricky Lupo grabbed hold of little Timothy's hand as they walked into town together. Though, it wasn't long for Ricky to notice the young boy walking with him was nervous, especially as the wolf heard the whispers of the townspeople watching them.  
  
 _"Is that little boy one of the Zavriels?"  
  
"Must be, and the son of a minotaur as well!"  
  
"Hey, isn't that Minotaur from Ringaia's Coliseum rumored to be moving here this week?"  
  
"Asterius Escamillo? Yeah, but you don't think he's related to that kid, do ya?"  
  
"Well, Calina's tastes do tend to... you know."  
_  
Ricky growled as he heard the people talked, and would have snapped at them had he not remembered the little kid next to him. He didn't want to frighten the kid further by showing off his feral mode, and so he stopped, knelt down so that he could be eye-level with Timothy and spoke as gently as possible.  
  
"This is your first time in town, ain't it?"  
  
"Uh-huh," Timothy said as he gave a shy nod of his head, while Ricky simply smiled before speaking again.  
  
"I know, it's scary with all these people looking at ya, right?" As he saw Timothy give him a nod, Ricky then added, "Listen, just ignore what everyone else says and does for now, ok? You're here to play with Pierre, right?"  
  
"Y-Yeah!" Timothy said as his ears wriggled a bit in excitement, followed by his tail flicking around before he adjusted his shirt, "I hope Pierre's excited about today as I am!"  
  
"Oh really? Why's that?" Ricky said as he stood up and held his hand out to Timothy before they started walking again.  
  
"Cause Papa's Moving to town today!" Timothy said with a big smile, "And I wanna be in town when he gets here as a surprise!"  
  
"Do you know when he'll get here today?" Ricky said, finding the kid's enthusiasm to be rather adorable.  
  
"Nope! But I'll wait until he gets here!" Timothy said, while the wolf merely chuckled and continued to walk to the clockwork shop he'd discovered was the home of the Polheffers.

~0~

"... So, because I didn't want to risk losing my sister again, I placed the curse on that knight to test him, and see if he'd keep his word about how well he'd treat Renee." Marik said as he walked alongside Veronica through the woods, having explained his side of the curse like he said he would. Though, as he glanced at the silver-haired girl, he had to wonder what she was thinking based on the look she had on her face.  
  
"I... guess you had a reason to do so," Veronica said, "I mean if my sister, Rosalva was older and someone was trying to date her, I'd be worried too."  
  
"Believe me, I know what it's like to worry about siblings." Marik said with a groan, "I've been raising most of mine while mother was away, after all. Though, I wonder what your little sister is like? Surely a human can't be as rambunctious as a faerie child."  
  
"Well, when your sister can practically weaponize anything, and use Hamon? Then yeah, I think she might be pretty close- well if Faerie kids can have their powers active at around age five." Veronica said dryly.  
  
"They start activating ar age ten, and it's normally with the little things- breezes, minor spells, and curses, nothing too dangerous." Marik said with a nervous edge in his voice, "But weaponizing things at age five? She sounds dangerous. Also, what is this Hamon you speak of?"  
  
"It's... well..." Veronica said, before taking a few breaths that became visible to Marik, as yellow sparks trailed down her arms, "you see, we all are flowing with life energy, yes? Well, using a certain breathing technique, I'm able to channel that energy outwards as an attack. It's like attacking someone with the sun's rays you could say."  
  
"Sounds like Magic," Marik said flatly as he saw the sparks, "Care to demonstrate what it can be used for?"  
  
Veronica didn't say a word as she nodded and focused on moving her scarf. Unfortunately, as the scarf she wore around her neck stiffened, it also slapped Marik's face.  
  
"O-Oh! Sorry!" Veronica said as she reached out to touch the injury- only for Marik to pull back, "What's wrong? I didn't hit you that hard, did I? I-I swear it was an accident."  
  
"I just don't like people touching my face, and I'm fine." Marik said with a growl, "Anyway, I think we should get moving, don't you?"  
  
"Uh... sure?" Veronica said, only to let out a yelp as the manticore faerie picked her up in his arms and spread his bat-like wings, "Wh-What the hell are you doing!?"  
  
"Preparing to fly," Marik said with a smirk, "I suggest you hold on."  
  
With that, Marik took off as Veronica held on with her arms around his neck. While she could handle heights just fine, even she had to admit to herself that flying with a man who could probably kill you if he wanted was frightening. Still, despite the fear, the rush of excitement she felt, as well as the smile she caught from Marik as he flew through the forest was actually kind of fun. In fact, she started to consider maybe asking Kakyoin if they could go flying in their next dream date- or better yet, when she managed to wake him up in Appledale.  
  
As she looked down below though, she gasped as she saw the view of the forest below them, and more importantly, the large lake up ahead next to a tree that seemed bigger than the redwoods of California, maybe even larger than the ginormous stump she had seen once by a community center in Senatobia!  
  
As the pair landed though, Veronica looked in awe at how beautiful the scene was, just before something started coming out of the water- two fins one blue and short the other long and pink started to peek out of the water, racing about the lake and even dodging the other before the owners of the fins leapt out and landed on the shore. Both were fish-people, with one masculine and tall looking while the other was blue and effeminate. Both had large black eyes and sharp teeth in their mouths, and as the pink one ran over to shake Veronica's hand, the silver-haired girl was surprised to learn that the masculine one was a girl.  
  
"Oh hi! I'm Oceana, are you Marik's new girlfriend?" said the pink one that was a full foot taller than even Jotaro to Veronica, while the shyer blue one facepalmed along with Marik.  
  
"Oceana, I don't think-" said the blue one- a man, only for his sister to interrupt.  
  
"Not now Roy, I'm trying to greet the girl!"  
  
"She's not my girlfriend, Oceana," Marik said with a growl, "In fact, she's engaged already to Ethereas."  
  
"Oh, the guy who disappeared when my twin brother and I were just babies?" Oceana said before giving a dramatic sigh, "Really big brother, you bring a girl home after 500 years, and what am I supposed to think? That you're not finally trying to get into a relationship after the Ic--"  
  
"OCEANA!" Marik roared, causing the twin siblings to hug each other in fear as his eyes went from yellow to a glowing blue once again, "Aeon wished to see Miss Zeppeli, so behave, Oceana."  
  
"Right, uh... let me go get the door for you!" Oceana said as she let her twin go and ran for the front door of the tree house, before opening it up to her older brother and his guest. However, Veronica said nothing as she followed the manticore inside, and watched him put a cork he wore around his neck onto his stinger as he led her to the secret room of the house, opened it up and let Veronica walk in first.  
  
Inside, was a woman with purple hair, red eyes, and a white robe sitting at a table- a crystal ball in front of her as she spoke up.  
  
"Hello, Veronica, I am Aeon," said the woman, "but I had another name once, Vins... it's so good to see you again, my dear."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title comes from the song "Riding a Black Unicorn" by Aurelio Voltaire.
> 
> First of all there were two moments unplanned in this chapter- the first being Pierre's dream with Alexandros (Who's name comes from the band of the same name, they did a song called New Wall, which was used for the by now deceased game Tales of the Rays' intro.). The other moment was Pietro's self-reflection and idea to get the antlers left behind in the tower.
> 
> As I was writing, I just felt I had to show what Pierre was dreaming about, and as for Pietro... I just felt he needed a moment to himself for the sake of character development.
> 
> Anyway, next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- Aeon's had all they can stands, and they can't stands no more!


	24. Twist of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeon has a chat with Veronica

"Hello, Veronica, I am Aeon. But I had another name once, Vins... it's so good to see you again, my dear."  
  
"I'm sorry, you might be mistaking me for someone else," Veronica said, while Marik leaned against the wall of the magically formed chamber of the tree.  
  
"Possibly," Aeon then said, "Would you care for some tea? I'd be happy to explain things a bit better if you'd like."  
  
"Yes, thank you," Veronica said with a smile as she went to the table and sat down across from Aeon as the hooded woman summoned a tea set right in front of her. Though she knew she'd never met the mysterious woman before, Veronica couldn't help but feel like there was something familiar about Aeon.  
  
"Marik, is the ward up?" Aeon then asked, causing Veronica to look behind her to see Marik doing something to the door.  
  
"Just finished," Marik said as he resumed his position against the wall, "No one will be able to listen in while you explain, Aeon."  
  
"Thank you, Marik, care to join us for tea?" Aeon said, only for Marik to harrumph and shake his head in response. This caused the purple haired woman to sigh and add, "I'll take that as a no."  
  
Veronica meanwhile, felt awkward as she silently sipped her tea, many questions running through her mind as she wondered just what was going on. Why was Aeon interested in her, a complete stranger? How did she even know Veronica's name? What else did this woman know about Veronica, and why did she seem familiar?  
  
"Would you like to have your fortune read?" Aeon then asked, causing Veronica to flinch as she continued, "I can take the tea leaves leftover in your cup, and use the shapes they make to determine your future."  
  
"Oh, um, sure! Thank you." Veronica said with a smile as she handed her cup to Aeon, who then hummed a bit as she frowned in thought.  
  
"It seems, your life is as interesting as ever," she then said, before pointing out and explaining each symbol she saw to Veronica. " The Comet in the center means that unusual and interesting events are headed your way. The vulture means that you have a great enemy and that you should be on your guard. However, the Large dog across from the vulture shows that you have protection and good friends, while the collar between the dog and comet shows that if you persevere, then a great reward will await you in the end. The cherries represent a love affair, the letters in them- N.K. or E.G., I am not sure which, will represent the lucky man, as for the chain around the cherries.... oh! Congratulations on the engagement."  
  
"Thanks, my fiance is Ethereas Ghostwing, but... he's also known as Noriyaki Kakyoin." Veronica said before she pointed out another symbol in the cup, "What's this pear-shaped one mean?"  
  
"That's a lute, not a pear, though, I am curious to know if you are a musician before I tell you the meaning," Aeon said only for Veronica to shake her head no, "Oh. Well, if you were a musician, then it would mean great success, however as you are not... well, it means you have secrets that are making you miserable."  
  
"I see..." Veronica said before she bit her lip out of nervousness.  
  
"So dear, what exactly is ailing you?"  
  
"I'm a hamon prodigy," Veronica said sadly, "I know, that it's something to be proud of, especially since I've mastered every known overdrive, the techniques of my great-great-grandfather Will A. Zeppeli, and my great uncle Caesar, even the technique they used to pass their Hamon onto the Joestars at the cost of their lives... but... I'm worried I'm just a copycat who can't even think of anything entirely original!"  
  
"Entirely?" asked Aeon, just as a monocle seemed to appear over her eye.  
  
"I can combine techniques, but... I feel like I need to leave my mark on Hamon for future generations by coming up with something completely my own... I just don't know where to begin."  
  
"You must feel a lot of pressure then- even more than the average seventeen-year-old," Aeon said before Veronica laughed.  
  
"I'm nineteen, actually," said the silver-haired girl, before Marik chimed in.  
  
"I know Veronica explained what Hamon is, but what exactly is it used for?" the manticore faerie then said, only for Aeon, surprisingly to answer before Veronica could.  
  
"It's for fighting undead monsters, and creatures of the night known as Pillarmen," Aeon said, causing Marik and Veronica to speak at once.  
  
"How do you know that?" they said, before Veronica continued, "As far as I know, Hamon doesn't exist in this world, so how do you know about it? More importantly, why did you want to see me?"  
  
"Well, I guess I might as well tell the truth... better to speak it early instead of hiding it for a while and letting things head to hell," Aeon then said, before shards of colored glass and windows formed six wings behind her, before one of the windows started to show a rather average woman in a place that Veronica recognized as her own world- though she wasn't sure where.  
  
"Once, I was an ordinary woman," Aeon then said, before the image animated as she showed Veronica and Marik her story.  
  


Her original name, was Annette Bluemarine, a desperate woman who lost her baby, before stealing and raising another as her own. In the sixteen years that followed, Miss Blumarine had grown to love her stolen child as her own, and thought nothing of the consequences or that he'd even find out. Then, one day she learned she'd contracted a certain disease that had no cure, and so confessed what she had done in church before she became bedridden and contemplated telling her dear son, Wes, the truth that he'd been stolen from another family and more importantly, that he had a brother.  
  
While she was torn between losing her son by telling him or have peace in death by telling him, she would soon have her predicament taken from her when her son failed to return home from work one day. What's worse, a bunch of men came along to burn her home down all because of her late husband was African American. However, she was ready to die and waited for the embrace of death.  
  
It never came, as instead, a stone mask landed on her face, and as she started to bleed, spikes came out and impaled her skull... before she started to change into a vampire- fangs grew in her mouth, she felt stronger than before but as the house collapsed on top of her, she found herself pinned until nightfall, before she dug her way out of the remains of her home and into the street. However, she learned that her son, her beloved Wes, had died thanks to the same bastards who burned down her house. The despair was enough to manifest her Stand, the knight-like Hanoi Rocks and also give her the power to leave the Timeline and observe it- making whatever she witnessed a reality. Of course, as she was officially dead, she could not keep using her own face, and so using her Stand to re-enter the timeline, she managed to procure enough funds for plastic surgery to change her face, before changing her name to Vins. She disguised herself as a Fortune Teller, fed off the suicidal to get by and her new life seemed peaceful.  
  
That was, until the year 2011, when for Vins the world ended. As she observed the timeline, she saw that a priest loyal to a monster named DIO had put together a plan to combine two Stands to form something new. Something to speed up and loop time until he could find a certain timeline. One without the Joestar family, and where his master could attain heaven.  
  
Vins herself was in the Observer's realm at the time, but as the loops continued and became faster, it became like watching several films on the same reel. Everything became distorted, people who should not exist existed alongside others, there were even some unfamiliar faces to her from some other timeline. To compensate and sort things out though, her Stand ended up making a merged timeline that looped a single event in tandem with the one who cause this- a world set in 1987, where Jotaro Kujo would journey to face against DIO again and again, with no one by Vins aware of the loop.  
  
However, because the world was a distorted paradox, she could no longer view the destiny of others. Nothing she saw could be set in stone and little did she know at the time, Destiny itself decided to replace her.  
  
That, was when the Seventh Stand User first appeared along with the always deceased Mr. Steel, and his allies- Berlin the Homunculus maker, and Alicia the spirit summoner. At first, killing them was easy but with each subsequent loop, with every new face they gained- one of eight, the Seventh would make it farther along their journey until eventually, Vins had to step in and stop them personally. Whether it was betraying the crusaders for DIO, or stopping DIO and later herself, it seemed that no matter what she'd done, the loop would begin again- even when the defeat of DIO was in the hands of the senator he held hostage.  
  
"Even now, I question that... ending, so to speak." Aeon then said as she interrupted her story, her body now metallic silver as her hair was gone and her face had tripled while her arms doubled.  
  
"So... what happened?" Veronica asked, having seen her own face among the Seventh's forms "Did... you still want to kill me?"  
  
"No," Aeon said as her wings shown and came together to show Veronica a blonde version of herself that worked with Kakyoin rather closely, from when a fake took his place at one point, so when he had to fight a dream manipulating baby with fangs, to even staying by his side when his eyes were damaged, and he needed to recover. Even seeing herself and the man she was starting to fall for in this timeline, it was still weird to watch her reflection fight with the use of a wolf-like Stand that could manipulate the winds, along with just starting to learn how to use Hamon.  
  
"In fact, you, or a version of you were what preceded my final loss," Aeon then said and began to show Veronica what she meant.

***********

Veronica Kazeyama smiled as she kissed Kakyoin's cheek on their way to the Airport, having saved his life with her Stand, Howlin Wolf. They were lagging behind a bit for the rest of the group and had to hurry to the Airport, when Vins came out of an alleyway, hood up to protect her from the sunlight.  
  
"It's time for your destiny to be fulfilled, Miss Kazeyama," said Vins, before the vampire charged in to strike Veronica's neck with her hand. However, instead, Kakyoin moved to push the blonde out of the way, taking the hit before he summoned his Stand.  
  
"You were meant to die, Kakyoin," Vins said then, before summoning her knight like Stand Hanoi Rocks in return.  
  
"What?" Kakyoin said, "Who are you, and just what do you mean I'm meant to die!?"  
  
"It is your destiny, or was, to die by DIO's hand, Noriyaki Kakyoin." Vins said before glaring at Veronica, "Until she stepped in with her own Stand, that is. Don't you realize that she doesn't belong here?"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about!?" Kakyoin then said, before looking to Veronica, "Black Queen... do you know what's she's after?"  
  
"Yeah, I do," Veronica said as she summoned her wolf-like Stand, and created a gale to blow away the horseback riding Stand, Hanoi Rocks, "And all I can say right now is that this crazy fortune teller's been stalking me, trying to kill me, all because she thinks that she can get her son back, by destroying me!"  
  
"H-How do you know that!?" Vins shouted in surprise, before being knocked back by Kakyoin's Hierophant Green.  
  
"Because," Veronica said as she sent out her wolfish Stand to bite Vins' leg, "Mr. Steel told me about the time loops and you... and all I want to know is what is the damn point of you trying to fix things so that they go as they're supposed to? We both have the power to affect fate, so why can't we work together!?"  
  
"People are happiest when following their destined path, and I won't let you disrupt fate further, Kazeyama!" Vins said before charging in once again to attack Veronica, only to be blasted back by a barrage of emeralds.  
  
"BULLSHIT!" Veronica shouted, followed by another gale from her Stand, “If that's true, then how do you know you’re not disrupting fate by trying to make things as they’re supposedly meant to be!?”  
  
Vins was caught off guard by that question, just long enough to be destroyed in this timeline by the sun, before another loop started anew.

***********

"That question remained with me during the final loop that followed," Aeon said, "And in spite of your happy ending with Kakyoin as well."  
  
"But... my last name is Zeppeli, not Kazeyama." Veronica then said, surprising the now monstrously angelic looking being, before she started to laugh.  
  
"So it is," Aeon then said, her eyes changing a bit to show a smile on her now mouthless face, "Would you like to see the final end of the loops I endured?"  
  
"Well, I am a bit curious..." Veronica said with a small smile in return, "Though... how many loops did you endure?"  
  
"At least 36, or rather, that is when I lost count..." Aeon said with a sigh, "But, that is all in the past now, Miss Zeppeli, let us continue watching, shall we?"

***********

Hino Asakura smiled to himself as he saw his new friends head to the airport- Jotaro Kujo, his grandfather Joseph, the Frenchman Polnareff, the quiet Kakyoin, the fortune teller Avdol and finally and least likely of the bunch, the Stand using dog Iggy. It had been a long, arduous journey to Egypt and the mission to defeat DIO had lead to tears of joy and sorrow, memories, and pain. A lot of pain. Not to mention enough issues to keep a therapist busy for a while as well.  
  
Still, enduring all that was worth it, as the average looking redhead smiled at how hard he worked to make sure everyone lived. Sure, he screwed destiny over and pissed off a certain someone who wanted his head on a platter, but he didn't care at all. His friends had survived, and dammit, he was going to make sure this timeline was worth it!  
  
However, he also knew that as he was to play a special role, this moment wouldn't last and as soon as he boarded that plane, this would happen all over again. Though, as he looked at his pocket, he did wonder if he should implement his plan early.  
  
"Hey, Hino," Jotaro then said as he called to his classmate, "You coming or what?"  
  
"Oh, uh, hold on!" Hino said as he glanced around and saw a certain someone in the alleyway, "I just remembered I had one last souvenir to grab for my folks, but don't worry, I'll make it on time!"  
  
"Whatever," Jotaro said as he turned around, "Just don't take too long, ok?"  
  
"Ok, Jotaro!" Hino said with a smile before he turned to walk into the alleyway. Though, once he seemed to be alone, his jolly demeanor changed as he slipped his hand into his pocket and became rather serious, "Alright Vins, come on out."  
  
Vins was surprised to be caught so easily and wondered briefly if she was letting herself slip more with every loop. However, she soon shook that thought away before she spoke at last.  
  
"So, getting straight to it then, very well," she said with a small smile on her lips, "I hope you're ready to die, Seventh Stand User."  
  
"Actually, I was thinking this might be our final loop," Hino said, catching the vampire off guard.  
  
"How can you be so certain?" Vins said, "And how are you aware of the loops?"  
  
"Steel told me over the radio," Hino said "To think, all the Deja Vu I'd been having was due to a time loop. And you, but eh, I gotta admit that you're a selfish bitch and a hypocrite with all your talk about Destiny, and then going about trying to change things a little to keep your boy alive."  
  
"So you know," Vins said with a sigh as she added, "I'm getting tired of this, Hino. No matter what form you take, you get stronger and smarter with every loop. Perhaps it is my fate to be replaced by you as The Observer of the timeline, however... I refuse to go down without a fight!"  
  
"Yeah, no," Hino said with a shrug, causing Vins to pause in confusion, "Sorry, but this time I think I'll just do something no one's thought of before- mainly, cheat like hell."  
  
"What are you talking about!?" Vins said in confusion, before seeing Hino pull out of his pocket two objects- a small notebook and an arrowhead, which caused the vampire's eyes to widen. "No! Y-You're never supposed to have that!"  
  
"I said I was cheating, didn't I?" Hino then said as he twirled the arrowhead in one hand, and held the notebook and a demonic looking fountain pen in his other hand, while he gave a shrug, “So I snuck off to grab one of these babies after using a UV flashlight to kill Vanilla Ice- courtesy of Stroheim, of course. But, I can see why you’re worried.”  
  
Vins felt paralyzed as she watched Hino then smile politely, before stabbing his own Stand with the arrowhead, injuring his hand in the process. He didn't even flinch as he started to look sick for a moment, before he spoke again, “Steel told me about a Requiem Stand, and I’ll admit, it’s pretty fitting as my Stand, Napalm Death may die, but as I’ve grown on this journey of mine, this Stand shall be reborn as something new! Something that will make sure I have the power to defeat you once and for all, Vins, and end this paradox for good! So farewell. Napalm Death, and rest easy as your Requiem plays in your new life, and I use you to rewrite the world into a revolutionary **_Genesis!”_**  
  
Hino then laughed as his Stand started to change from a demonic pen to a more angelic one, followed by the notebook becoming a thick journal. This was bad, Vins knew this and so summoned her Stand to fire off a laser while Hino was distracted. She acted too slowly, as Hino took his new Stand, Genesis and used the fountain pen to write out the Kanji for "Shield" to reflect the beam. Next, he wrote a new Kanji- this one saying "Heavenly Chains" which produced the very object as he directed them to wrap around Vins' body.  
  
"Wh-What are you going to do to me!?" Vins cried out as she struggled to break free, while Hino wrote in his journal.  
  
"Oh, just get rid of you without killing you, that's all," he said before Vins felt her fangs shrink away and her heart beginning to beat again. She was no longer a vampire, that she could feel quite clearly before things started to get even stranger. The world around her seemed to fade away, except for the sight of Hino writing in his journal before that image started to repeat in front of her eyes like an old movie's filmstrip. Then, the strip began to rewind for another loop.  
  
A loop, without her.  
  
"No!" she cried out, but she received no answer as she drifted off into the void, the light of the chains on her body being the only thing she could see.

***********

"I do not know how long I was in that void between worlds," Aeon then said as her story continued on the windows of her wings, showing her old self drifting in in the void before a pair of hands pulled her out as Aeon continued to narrate, "But... then I met Tara Morgan, and quickly realized I was in trouble when I saw a look of madness in her eye."  
  
"She was insane," Marik then said with a growl, "You were in the right to worry."  
  
"Indeed." Aeon said before she continued her story, "I tried to use Hanoi Rocks to escape, but.... her magic caught me off guard, she... she ripped my stand from my soul, and I was dragged away in my weakened state. The process-"  
  
"Don't. Tell her," Marik then said, "No need to give her nightmares, Aeon, nor do we want some mage scanning her memories and deciding to make more Tarotica as well... best leave that art lost for good."  
  
"Understood," Aeon said, as the windows on her wings went blank, "Just know, Veronica that the process that made me into what I am now, was horrifying, and it left me a broken shell designed to Judge those who break away from the path the Blue Faerie set for their fates. However, thanks to my ability to look into the past, Veronica, I was able to unseal my memories and upon remembering what was done to me, I rebelled. I decided to help Puck and his resistance forces, told them how to seal the Tarotica and once the Empire had fallen, volunteered to let myself be sealed in this tree for over 1200 years now."  
  
"I... I see." Veronica said, "This is a lot of info to handle, but... to be honest, I only met Jotaro at the Cairo Airport before that Hierophant Black thing brought me to Fanterra."  
  
"Yes... I am aware Karas was released from his bottle," Aeon said while Marik growled in anger, "And while I am glad you weren't involved in another loop, I am afraid I must tell you that you will be involved in future events as well."  
  
"And if I don't want to be involved?" Veronica asked, only to be answered with the image of monsters led by Karas appearing in one of Aeon's windows, "Uh... please tell me you'll give me advice or something to help me prevent the end of the world."  
  
"That is also why I asked you to come here," Aeon then said, "If you are willing, I would be happy to offer my assistance as an advisor."  
  
"Oh no, you are not going to force anyone to follow a certain path, Aeon." Marik said in protest, "I may be going with her, but I do not want anyone to be without an actual choice to make!"  
  
"Marik, I am not planning to force anyone. I am simply offering advice, it's up to Veronica on whether or not she follows it," Aeon then said, before looking at Veronica directly with her middle face, "What do you decide, Veronica?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'll need time to think about this," Veronica then said, while Aeon nodded in understanding for a moment, before her eyes widened in horror.  
  
"Oh no..." Aeon said, before looking at the confused pair of Marik and Veronica, "You two need to hurry back to town, now."  
  
"What happened!?" Marik said, "Is Renee-"  
  
"She's fine, but Timmy..." Aeon said, only to be interrupted as Marik grabbed Veronica and teleported out of the room in a blink.

~0~

In the town of Unicorn's Blade, a commotion began at the town gates as Ricky and young Timothy Zavriel neared them. It seemed a caravan of merchants were trying to get in, or what was left of a caravan as three men and a woman were doing their best to carry an injured minotaur dressed in a bolero, tights and a white shirt. As Ricky looked down at Timothy though, it was clear the young boy recognized the oddly dressed minotaur as he shrieked in horror when he saw the beast was impaled in the shoulder by a unicorn's broken horn.  
  
 _"Papa, no!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter's title comes from the song "Twist of Fate" by Oliva Newton-John.
> 
> I know this was just an info dump with no real battles, but I had fun writing it out, and this chapter also revealed that well, Aeon came from a fangame originally- the game Seventh Stand User by Clayman.
> 
> Next time on Jojo's Bizarre Fairy Tale: A very strange battle between a Minotaur and a Unicorn.


	25. Toreador

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minotaur vs Undead Unicorn. Need I say more?

The healer's hut of Unicorn's blade was silent. Only a few hours before did a horde of people break the door down, only to discover the Healer was out of town. As a result, one wolf by the name of Ricky Lupo decided to operate with the help of Arachne Zavriel, the Spider Witch of the local forest, and one Veronica Zeppeli, a young woman with silver hair and the power to heal others.

  
The operation ended up being a combination of Veronica using her abilities to keep the patient- a Minotaur by the name of Asterius Escamillo calm until they could find a piece of slumber thorn to put him to sleep as they worked on the injury. Then, Arachne had to run her spider silk through some heated wax to keep them from causing an infection. After that, Ricky and Veronica rolled up the sleeves of their shirts and carefully removed the horn by twisting it like a screw, before Ricky started working on the shoulder itself.

As Veronica watched him work, she noticed that he seemed to know what he was doing. From checking the shoulder for damage, and upon finding none moved on to stitching up the muscle tissue and artery with a tiny, curved needle, followed by closing the wound with a larger one with such efficiency, he seemed to be stitching a hole in fabric rather than human skin.

"There, it's done" Ricky finally said after he finished his work and knotted off the thread and went to wash his hands, "He's going to need to rest for a while, but hopefully the slumberthorn should help him stay asleep while his body recovers."

"Ricky," Veronica then said as she washed up as well, "where did you learn how to perform surgical stitching?"

"Tailor School," Ricky said as he slipped his jacket back on, "The professor for the stitching class was... very thorough in his teachings. He even had us stitch up cadavers as practice."

"I see," Veronica said with an uneasy smile, "To be honest, it was kind of like watching my dad work at the hospital,"

"Really?" Ricky said as Arachne left the room, "Just what is a hospital, anyway? Is it like a healer's hut?"

"Sort of, but made to hold a lot of patients for a while," Veronica said, "There, doctors can perform surgeries, take care of patients in a clean environment, and... look after the dead down in the morgue if they die there."

"Sounds like what Toca's planning to build," Ricky said, causing Veronica to look surprised, "To be honest when you mentioned a hospital the day you woke up in my home, I had thought you were a spy or something, Veze, considering King Tonio's Hospital was meant to be a surprise, but considering the fact you're from another world, I guess you're pretty familiar with them."

"Uh.... thanks, I think." Veronica said, "Wait, you thought I was a spy!?"

~0~

Later at the Laughing Raven Inn, Asterius was laid up in a bed while young Timothy was comforted by his older sisters, Renee and Arachne. The burly bodyguard Wamu was also doing his best to comfort the boy, by telling him his father would be fine, and that once he had fully healed, he'd spend plenty of time with his son.  
  
"Y-You sure?" Timothy said with a sniff, while Wamu gave a small smile and nodded.  
  
"I'm sure, and it would probably hurt your father if he saw you crying because of him... he loves to see people smile." Wamu then said, just as Marik entered the room with a bag of jam-filled rolls for Timothy. Then, Marik went over to his brother and picked him up, hugging him gently as Timothy returned the hug, and neither of them saying a word.  
  
For Marik though, he knew someone was going to pay for hurting his family, he'd make sure of that.

~0~

Meanwhile, at the Knight's station of Unicorn's Blade, Sirs Pierre Polheffer and Fangstian Leonne were in the middle of questioning the head of the merchant caravan that brought Asterius.  
  
"I told you already," the grey-haired but beautiful, dark-skinned woman known as Mara Hari then said as she adjusted her brown hood, "I don't know how the knock-off wine got into my supplies."  
  
"Again, we're not asking about that," Pierre said, "We just want to know what happened to Asterius. He was signed on as a guard for your caravan, correct?"  
  
"Yes, he was," Mara said with a sigh, "Sorry, it's just... today's been pretty stressful, with the undead unicorn, the fight, and Asterius nearly dying I just... I'm just under a lot of pressure right now. Maybe my father was right, I'm not ready for this job yet."  
  
There was a moment of silence before Sir Fang spoke up.  
  
"I'm sorry, but did you just say undead unicorn?"  
  
"Yes. I did," Mara said, "Is that a problem, Sir Leonne?"  
  
"Just Sir Fang, ma'am," the lion elf said as his tail twitched in annoyance, before turning to Pierre, "What do you think, Sir Polheffer?"  
  
Pierre was hesitant, but he did eventually speak as he sighed and said, "Mademoiselle Hari, I think you need to tell us more about this incident."  
  
"Alright," Mara said with a groan, before clearing her throat and telling her story.

**********

_I can't believe I'm helping this beast,_ Mara thought as she led her Caravan to Unicorn's Blade, her throwing knives at the ready just in case of bandits. Unfortunately for her, she also had to sit next to her guest on the job- former gladiator Asterius Escamillo, a minotaur that did bullfights in the Bella Aquae Colosseum.  
  
Sure, he volunteered to help out, but while he did use his strength to move some very heavy crates of wine and metals onto the wagons, she still couldn't help but feel confused as to why the Minotaur wanted to go to a small border town. Then, near the end of the journey, she just couldn't take it anymore and asked the beast just one question.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why what?" asked Asterius in return.  
  
"Why do you, a great fighter with fame, fortune, and fans want to go to some town in the middle of nowhere?" Mara asked as she sat in the back of the wagon with the minotaur, a hired hand driving the horses for the moment.  
  
"For my son, Timothy," Asterius answered with a small smile- well, as small as one can get when you have a face that looked like a perfect fusion between man and bull, "He's only four years old, but I realized I want to be there for him like the rest of his siblings, so I felt retirement was the best way to do that. I've even talked it over with his mother Calina, and she thought it was a wonderful idea."  
  
"So, you've been with the monster-loving whore," Mara then said, "Must be an interesting relationship, sleeping with the mother of monsters."  
  
"Hey, now you shouldn't judge," Asterius said with a frown, "I mean, yes, she's married and has had affairs with monsters, but she's got her reasons for it."  
  
"Calina's married!?" Mara said in surprise, "And what do you mean reasons for it?"  
  
Asterius sighed then before he looked off into the forest around the road before he spoke again. "Callie's husband is a demon named Zephyr, he's... been imprisoned for a long time with only one day each year of freedom. Because of that, she came up with a way to vent certain frustrations while remaining loyal to him. She... informs her lovers about her situation, and if they understand she pursues an... open relationship, as she called it, with them with the understanding that both parties are allowed to fall in love with others if they wish- just as long as they inform the other person in the relationship first. Those that refuse to follow the rules are rejected, while the few that understood her plight and agreed to the terms? They are the ones she lets father her children... though, she's also doing this while searching for her missing son, Marduk."  
  
"Her firstborn, according to the legends, right?" Mara said as she processed this new information, "Must be rough, not knowing where a part of your family must be, or if they're even alive."  
  
"She has faith that he still is- one of the things I love about her, really." Asterius said, "Then again... determination is something I enjoy in women like you-you could have simply turned back at any point, but your willingness to continue... well... I like it more than your looks. N-Not that I think you're ugly or anything, but you are certainly beautiful..."  
  
Mara found herself blushing then before she turned away and let out a harrumph, "Well, you have some weird tastes, I... don't think I'd ever see myself in love with a beast like you."  
  
"Why not?" Asterius said, "Technically, I'm half-human, and even considering Calina's reputation, she and I well, you know. A-Anyway, give me one chance in Unicorn's Blade, and well... we'll see if your opinion doesn't change."  
  
"I let you join my caravan, and you ask me to what, dinner?" Mara asked in disgust, "Why should I?"  
  
"Well, why are you still talking to a beast?" Asterius said with a laugh, especially as Mara found herself unable to answer.  
  
"Fine, I'll give you a chance," Mara said, "And if you succeed, we'll see where things go, ok?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Asterius said before sniffing the air and glaring as he placed a hand on the blade at his hip, all while fog started to roll in, which forced the caravan to stop, "Well, this seems suspicious."  
  
"How so?" Mara asked, before feeling the hairs on the back of her neck start to rise from fear.  
  
"This fog, and the smell of death in the air," Asterius said calmly before his ears twitched, "Call on the guards, now!"  
  
"GUARDS!" Mara shouted, causing the mercenaries she hired to grab their spears and ready themselves for battle. Then, one of the men screamed as something started running towards him, only to let out a gurgle as he was stabbed by an unseen assailant. Mara found herself cursing her luck once more as she laid low in the wagon before she saw something jump over her and screamed.  
  
It was a unicorn that not only had a broken spear in its side but also one of her mercenaries trapped on its horn. Though from what she could tell, the thing didn't even notice the weapon run through its side and the smell it gave off was that of death warmed over. Though as it neared the wagon she could tell that the thing was not only larger than a normal horse but also undead once she saw it's rotted flesh and skull. Though, just as it was about to rear back and attack her, a voice rang out as another spear went through its body.  
  
"Hey! Uno!" Asterius said, the fog clearing into a mist as he drew his sword and held his cape in hand, ready to fight. "Come pick on someone your own size!"  
  
The Unicorn seemed to understand the challenge as it lowered its head and charged at the minotaur, only to hit the cape and be stabbed in the side by the minotaur's blade. He didn't have any assistance in this like he would in a normal match against a regular bull, but he didn't care. People were in danger, and this thing was the cause of it. He needed to fight and protect them as he would his own son.  
  
So, he fought.  
  
Inspired by the minotaur though, other guards that were mounted on horseback and wielding sharp spears rode in to help the minotaur, stabbing their spears between the unicorn's shoulders in an attempt to weaken the tossing muscle located there. No one said a word as Asterius nodded in thanks, before taunting the unicorn again with his cape.  
  
"Come on! Uno! Uno!" he soon said, before making a rather rude gesture with his hand, "Come and get me!"  
  
The unicorn charged again, incensed with rage as it ran, only to once again miss as Asterius dodged and stabbed once again.  
  
"OLE!" he cried out, and repeated the process, again and again, slashing at the unicorn's legs to slow it down, while also making sure no one got hurt. That is until the Caravan started moving again and Mara ended up falling out when it hit a bump in the road. That caused the undead monster to focus on her as it began to charge, causing Asterius to drop his cape and make a mad dash to get between the monster and the girl.  
  
What Mara heard next was the sound of a bull in pain, before looking up to see Asterius gored in the shoulder by the horn, using his other arm, he then used his blade to cut off the unicorn's horn, letting it run off as he turned and held his injury.  
  
"Are you alright?" he said to her, and after Mara nodded, smiled before he collapsed, which led to the Caravan stopping once again to pick up their hero and take him to the healer right away.

**********

"And that's what happened," Mara said once her story was done, "Am I free to go?"  
  
Pierre however, was shocked, and as his friend and superior Sir Fang looked at him, the lion would see the man's face shift to anger for a moment. Then, something unexpected happened.  
  
_"That mage is using my body to hurt people once more."_ said the crystalline sword with the unicorn's head on the pommel at Pierre's hip.  
  
"I'm sorry, did his sword just talk?" Mara had asked, while Fang nodded in surprise.  
  
"Yeah... he just got that thing yesterday," said Fang before looking at Pierre for an explanation.  
  
"Uh... right, this morning I found out my sword has the spirit of the very unicorn that attacked my town," Pierre said, "I did not realize my blade, Alexandros, could speak though..."  
  
"I knew I should have checked that thing for magic," Fang said with a sigh, "Listen, talk to me if it possesses you, ok?"  
  
_"I will not possess my master, that's some other sword that was around back before my death,"_ said the sword Alexandros,  _"I smashed it with my hoof, however, on my way to this town."_  
  
"Right..." Fang said, "Man, this is weird... A-Anyway Pierre, what does Alexandros know about the situation other than his... old body... is being used to terrorize people?"  
  
"Well?" Pierre said as he held up Alexandros to the light, only for the eyes to flash as it spoke.  
  
_"Gee, maybe that the bastard controlling my body like a puppet is a clueless dick who wants his ex-wife back, a creep, and oh yeah, WANTS ME TO BE HIS PERMANENT SERVANT!"_ Alexandros said while Pierre let out a growl.  
  
"Alexandros, I won't let Netanel do this to you any longer," he said while Fang looked on in concern, "He doesn't care about who gets hurt, all he wants is Renee, and as a Knight, I can't let him get her. Not after what she told me about how he treated her."  
  
"I hate to ruin the moment, but... seriously, this is all too weird for me, can I please leave now?" Mara then said, getting the two knights' attention.  
  
"You may," Pierre said, "However, you'll need to tell the Caravan it's too dangerous to leave town right now and will remain so until that undead monster and the mage controlling him is taken care of, understand?"  
  
"Yeah," Mara said, "I'll head to the inn then, thank you."  
  
"I'll be heading there too," Pierre then said, "I... need to speak with Renee. Will you allow me to escort you to the inn, Miss Hari?"  
  
"Sure," Mara said as she stood up and raised her hood, "Let's get going."  
  
Pierre simply nodded as he started walking, though a look of anger was on his face as Fang watched him leave. Though, once the lion was all alone, all he could do was think.  
  
His best friend was getting a bit too involved in the case, and it seemed that Renee had something to do with it. Still, now wasn't the time to ask about it, just in case there was magic involved that would cause one of his friend to attack him. Not to mention he had the feeling that Pierre was hiding something from him. As he wondered what it was though, he recalled the feeling of strangeness his friend seem to give off. The way he wore long sleeves as the weather was getting warmer, the way Renee seemed affectionate towards him, the mysterious "You-know-what" that he was starting to doubt to be a playdate.  
  
Not to mention that Renee stayed the night in... Pierre's room.  
  
"No way." Fang said as his eyes widened in realization, "My best friend got himself a faerie bride, and I think the rescue of Renee led to their marriage. This... is going to be awkward to talk about but... maybe I should wait until he's ready to talk about it. Maybe after the case?"  
  
With that, Fang relaxed a bit as he leaned against the wall before his mind went to just how he would approach Pierre about this, and also if his family knew. If not, then his friend probably had a good reason not to say anything, and as he recalled his history classes, that reason was most likely Marik Zavriel- the second greatest Curse Slinger in the world, just behind his aunt Malefica Zavriel.  
  
All Fang could do now though, as he realized what was going on, was to simply wait until after the crisis was over, and pray that he didn't see a green corgi in the area- just in case the Zavriel family's aunt was visiting. He didn't need to piss her off, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title comes from the song Toreador from the Opera Carmen.
> 
> New  
> So, this chapter is my shortest yet, and I really hope the fight scene was alright.
> 
> Also, Mara Hari is the Fanterran counterpart of the Magnetic Mariah, and well... her counterpart was originally going to be named Mara Ders for a really, REALLY bad pun. But, I changed it at the end because that would have taken away from the seriousness of the chapter.
> 
> Well, as serious as you can get with a Minotaur Matador fighting an undead unicorn that is.
> 
> Next time on SSoF: Pietro's chat with Tyler, and preparations for battle!


	26. Viva La Vida

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A talk, a Dream, A confused Butler, a Mysterious Encounter and preparations for battle...

  
Pietro skidded to a halt in front of the tower, yesterday having been rather eventful as the mage had decided to not just out himself as an immortal, but also explain the truth about himself. Though the locals of Thornsborough were not too keen on having an immortal wizard in their town, much less Tyler, they were willing to let him stay as long as he didn't flirt with anyone again. On the other hand, it seemed that Tyler's beasts of Aurelio the lion, Steppen the wolf, Bon Jovi the Bear and McCloud the Fox were willing to be able to talk freely again, though the rabbit Sinatra remained as mute as ever.

As Pietro stopped to look at the two golden lilies in front of the tower, Pietro gave a sigh of relief that they weren't damaged, before noticing the new sign in front of the tower.

Steel Finch Tower  
Fortune Telling and Counsel for Hire  
Inquire Within.  


Pietro then took a deep breath as he nervously walked up to the door and knocked, only to give another sigh of relief when Tyler answered, this time wearing a tasteful green tunic over a gray shirt and brown pants.

"Oh, it's you," Tyler then said, the raven-haired and bearded mage moving aside to let the stag into his home, "For a second I thought it was an angry mob."

"You shouldn't joke about that," Pietro said as he walked into the tower, "I've been in that situation, and I can say that it is not one I'd wish all but two people to be in."

"Right," Tyler said with a grumble as he shut the door, before he bowed to Pietro, "So, your grace, what can I do for the Acting Duke of Deerbank?"

"I have questions, Tyler, and I require your counsel," Pietro said, causing Tyler to nod and offer his guest a seat on a newly repaired chair

"I see," Tyler said as he sat down across from Pietro at a table in the middle of the room, "So, what do you want to know?"

"Well, to begin, I would like to know why you tried to warn me about Hildegarde," Pietro said, causing Tyler to flinch in surprise.

"You actually remember that?" he said as he conjured up some tea and offered a cup to his guest, only for Pietro to give a nervous chuckle in response.

"I can't forget anything, so of course I remember. It's a side effect of my blessing to be unable to lie," Pietro said with a small smile, while Tyler nodded and gave his answer.

"I see. Well, I warned you because I didn't want to see a kid like you get into my situation- stuck watching the world change while you don't," Tyler said sadly, "Not to mention trying to prevent what happened to your hometown."

Pietro was silent for a moment, processing this confession of the mage before he sniffed as his eyes teared up and he finally spoke.

"Thank you," Pietro said, "I wish I heeded your warning and stayed away from Gem Hill altogether. If I had, then perhaps.... perhaps I could have seen my sister's wedding- maybe be married myself."

"Hey, don't cry," Tyler said as he pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to Pietro, "You still have a chance to save your friends and family."

"That... that is true," Pietro said with a sad smile before his face became one of concern, "But, what if I can't save everyone? It's been two hundred years, I'm sure that some of the people of Deerbank may have been... destroyed by time."

"Listen, what I saw back then was that you'd free everyone," Tyler then said, "I can't tell you how- that's for you to solve, but I will say that while you can't save everybody, you can still save the people that are most important to you- your sister, her husband, your aunt and... and your father."

The hesitation caught Pietro's attention then, causing the stag to look at the hunter mage in even more concern as he spoke.

"Tyler, what happens to my father?"

"From what I saw... he's an old man, isn't he?" Tyler said quietly, while his meaning was clear-cut to Pietro as he nodded in silence.

"How long will he live after I free him?" Pietro said after a few moments, while Tyler sighed and shook his head.

"As... As long as he can, that's all I can say," the raven haired mage said, "Pietro, he'll... he'll want you to enter something called the True Man's World, from what I read off his lips, any idea what that is?"

"The... The True Man's World?" Pietro said in surprise, before looking down at the floor, "Yes, I know what it is- according to my father, Tristan, it is an individual man's values held fast to his heart even in the face of how Society thinks. A True Man, according to father, is one who can differentiate his own values from what society values, and so... to become a true man means to stand by your beliefs no matter what."

"You doubt you can do that," Tyler then said after a moment, while Pietro nodded again.

"Yes, I do. I'm not even sure what I value besides my home and family, but... if I am to enter this world my father speaks of, then I need to figure it out, I think." Pietro said while the mage's maroon eyes twinkled a bit in thought.

"Well, I guess that's up to you to figure out, I can't exactly get a full read on a person's character, just their future, and what they did leading up to it," Tyler said as he sipped his tea, "Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Yes, I've recently discovered that one of my companions doesn't really trust me." Pietro said, "I had an idea of traveling with them to run an errand and hoping it would earn their trust, but I'm not sure if I should actually go through with it."

"I'm guessing this companion is Jotaro?" Tyler said with annoyance in his voice, especially as he remembered the two beatdowns he had gotten from the teen.

"Yes," Pietro said with a nod, "Can you look into my future, and see if my plan is a good idea?"

"As you wish, I mean, my power's tied to the soul, I think," Tyler said as he looked directly into Pietro's eyes and whistled, "So, you had one hell of a fight two nights ago... hmm...as for your future, all I can is that you just give it a shot and hope for the best- your time in the mirror's starting to disrupt what I see, I'm afraid."

"Oh..." Pietro said with a sigh, "So, I'm not immune to all magic if it's based on the soul. Well, at least I know I can still die..."

"Not a bad thing," said the immortal mage with a smile, "Listen, about that monster you encountered in the Dragon's Lair, he... he made me make him a countercharm for the seal."

"You're forgiven," Pietro said with a smile, "I assume you weren't willing?"

"He brought back my rabbit when she got lost," Tyler said with a grumble, "He also mentioned that he was allied with a woman named Amelia Red... a woman who should be dead from what I witnessed."

"Amelia Red?" Pietro said in surprise, "But... she murdered Alan Lupo nearly four weeks ago, according to the man's brother, Richard. If she's a dead woman, then... who could have--"

"I didn't believe it myself, but... I did some scrying after my confession yesterday," Tyler then said, as he pulled up a crystal ball showing a masked woman in a blonde hood, going about her business in a market somewhere, "She's definitely appearing to be the woman I remember, but... she never even tried to seek out her sons from what I can tell."

"Her... her sons?" Pietro said in surprise, "And what do you mean, appearing to be?"

"Looks like her, but... she's acting like she's just going through the motions," Tyler said "As for her sons, she had twins, Diego and Ib, before her death. They're the ones the life lilies outside are connected to as well since I left them with an old couple in need of children around their house."

"Aren't you worried they might be abused?" Pietro asked, only for the mage to give a rather wicked looking grin in response.

"I don't think they'd be willing to risk pissing off the guy who not only gave them what they desired but also has access to magic and some ferocious pets."

"I-I see...." Pietro said with a gulp, "You act like they're your children as well..."

"R-Really!?" Tyler said in surprise, "I mean, yeah, I liked their mother, but I'm not the father... Amelia... never could remember who the father was, but since the twins are part dragon, I can only assume the father's either got his reasons for wiping her memory or... something else happened."

"Something else?" Pietro said, "Someone else may have altered her memories?"

"Wouldn't put it past the bastard she worked for- Robiard Kisahs," Tyler said, "I saw his life, and I did my best to avoid him, but... well, the thing he did to his own daughter... it's why I wanted to try and get Amy out of there."

"I see," Pietro said in concern as he recalled the father of Carmen Wood, "But... what happened to her?"

"Robiard found out about the escape plan, and roasted her alive in a spare lab when I came to get her," Tyler said, "I understand that you're not able to see everywhere, but... be happy you didn't see what I did that night... Hell, Robiard would have killed her sons as well, if I hadn't stepped in and threatened him. Though, when he died, I was probably the only one who saw it coming thanks to my ability- then again, I did warn him that he was going to pay for his crimes one day..."

"He found out Koriander wouldn't be able to slay you, didn't he?" Pietro said flatly while Tyler gave a proud nod.

"So far, the only time I've been happy to be immortal," Tyler then said, before returning to the main subject at hand, "Though, if Amelia really is back from the dead, then the question is not only how she came back--"

"But why, and also how much she even remembers of her life," Pietro finished for the mage, before seeing the man give the stag a confused look, "Well, if you recall the legend of the Snake Leaves, sometimes those raised from the dead come back... wrong, either as a monster or forgetting things if they were brought back by a shapeshifter's Kiss of Life."

"That last part is only if there's no one or nothing familiar around to jog the revived's memory," Tyler said, "But the snake leaf? That might do the job to a lesser extent if she forgot her most cherished person... or persons in the case of her sons. However, since the snake leaf's extinct, then as far as we know, there's no way for her to come back, right?"

"What about how you came back?" Pietro then asked, causing Tyler to sigh.

"The root in my neck? I don't know where my brother got it, and the only thing that did know, his pet rabbit, died a long time ago. So, that's not a possibility unless whoever or whatever brought her back managed to either find it by accident or more likely got the information from Death himself... and also did something to her corpse before raising it."

"Necromancy?" Pietro asked while Tyler shrugged in response.

"Could be, either that, or she became a living corpse out of sheer rage upon her death," Tyler said before a thought crossed his mind, "Listen, while you travel can you keep me updated on anything you find out about Amelia?"

"You want to figure out what happened to her, don't you?" Pietro said as Tyler nodded.

"Yeah, and if it's anything that means she needs to be put down, I'll be working on my end to put the bolt together, if you catch my meaning."

"I do," Pietro said with a grim nod before he closed his eyes and held out a hand. Then, a small rectangular mirror appeared, before he handed it to Tyler, "Here, we can use this to keep in touch, though you will have to try and scry for me through it, I'm not sure if I can be seen through any other sources thanks to my ability to reflect magic."

"Can't I just say Mirror Mirror?" Tyler asked as he accepted the mirror from Pietro, only for the stag to laugh.

"No, I'm afraid that only works for the White Royal Family," Pietro said as he stood up and bowed to his host, "Thank you for letting me talk to you."

"Actually, I want to do one more thing before you head out," Tyler said as he set the mirror down and held Pietro's hand, "Would you like another fortune told, Your Grace? While your time in the mirror made you immune to magic, I can still see bits of your future... probably because it's tied to your soul and story, rather than anything else."

"I'd like that a lot, thank you," Pietro said before he sat back down and waited. Tyler then looked him in the eye for a moment, before looking down at his palm and spoke.

"Huh, your hand's gotten rougher since our first meeting, then again, it's been over two hundred years," he said half-jokingly, "Anyway, it seems a man associated with hellhounds and unicorns will become a great ally, and that he will meet him on the road in the very near future.”

"A man associated with hellhounds and unicorns?" Pietro said, "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for him then, thank you Tyler."

"Not a problem, your Grace," Tyler said with a small smile, "Good luck out there."

"Good luck with your new business venture," Pietro said in return before he left the tower, a sense of accomplishment in his heart as he also made note that with Amelia apparently allied with the prince's kidnapper, it seemed that there may be a potential connection as well between Prince Jonathan's abduction, and the murder of Alan Lupo. More importantly, he felt he needed to bring this up with Ricky Lupo, and prayed the Big Bad Wolf would tell him everything when he did.

The more known about Amelia Red, the better.  


~0~

Joseph blinked as he saw himself not in the simple bedroom that he'd fallen asleep in, but instead a lavish looking drawing room with clover green walls and a matching carpet, as well as a crystal chandelier overhead decorated with all sorts of gems to produce a multicolored effect. Though, to Joseph that seemed rather gaudy as he sat up on the white couch that he had been laying on.

Then, he saw a man in a top hat appear at a table covered in cards as if he was playing a game of Solitaire while humming to himself.

"Hey, who are you?" Joseph asked, getting the man's attention and noticing a familiar pair of purple marks on his cheeks. "Wait, Caesar? What's with the getup?"

As the stranger harrumphed and smoothed out his suit decorated with spades, hearts, clovers, and diamonds, as well as dice shaped cufflinks, Joseph realized he couldn't see the stranger's eyes no matter what, as if "Caesar" wasn't really who he appeared to be,

"Name's Chance Mat, buddy," said the stranger, "So, you're the guy my roommate talked with a few weeks ago, huh? To be honest, I was expecting someone shorter."

Before Joseph could respond to Chance's insult, the top hat-wearing man was smacked from behind by a paper fan- the wielder having long blonde hair, purple markings all over their body, clawed hands and feet, baggy pants, and finally a familiar looking horned mask covering their eyes.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Joseph said as he remembered a dream he had while still journeying to Egypt, "You're the bastard who pretended to be my friend!"

"Er... yes, hello!" The demon said nervously while the man in the tophat chuckled, "My name is Marduk Zavriel, it's nice to finally introduce myself to you, Mister Joestar."

Despite how polite the demon was to Joseph, the brunette still decided to punch the monster in the face, before something he said registered in his mind.

"Wait, Marduk Zavriel? As in the same Zavriel lady who has like, 38 kids?" Joseph asked while Marduk flinched in response as Chance whistled.

"Well, seems your family got a lot bigger while we were together, Marmar!" Chance then said with a hearty laugh as Marduk glared at him in return through his cracked mask.

"You two can fight later," Joseph shouted then, "What I want to know is what the hell is going on, and why does Chance Mat look like my friend Caesar? Is he one of those Tarot thingies like Mark was turned into?"

Chance lost his mirth then, before he shook his head and spoke, "Sorry, Jojo, but I ain't Caesar... our host body just looks like him. As for being an Arcana Magus Tarotica Major, then yes, I am. My Arcana is The Fool, and I'm the strongest of all of them due to being the first one made. Though, speaking of Karas..." Chance then glared as he asked a question.

"You wouldn't happen to know what that black, gooey creep is up to, would ya?"

"No, I don't." Joseph said, "All I know is that he used to be a guy I barely knew and a former friend of one of my best friends, Caesar Zeppeli before he died. Also, he kind of tried to kill me with a thing called Monde, before Pietro destroyed him."

"Wait, Monde?!" Chance said, "Oh man, the poor kid... I never liked how Karas treated Monde in the past, but if he hurt hi--- I'm sorry, did you just say he was destroyed?"

"Yeah, Pietro was stuck in a mirror, and that apparently made him a killing machine against your kind, Chancey boy," Joseph said, "I... I did see what Monde used to look like before he became a rock monster though.... do... do you know what was done to him?"

Marduk and Chance both fell silent at that, the demon taking a seat in the air as he crossed his legs and looked towards The Fool Magus.

"You... you don't have to tell him," Marduk said, while Chance shook his head and spoke.

"Sorry, but I think he needs to know," Chance said before turning to Joseph and beginning his explanation, "Monde... hell, all Tarotica used to be living things once before the Blue Faerie decided to convert them into monsters- the Tarotica. I was her first victim though, so I got off easy and only gained a third dose of immortality at the price of my body getting a little mutilated, which is why I like to cover up in this suit. However, the more she made, especially Mark, she got... creative, mixing magic and surgical procedures among other things to mutilate us, turning us into horrid things before using magic to change us for good. I... I tried not to watch when I could avoid it, but when I had to.... it always made me sick. Hell, when the Blue Bitch was finally taken down by Puck, I celebrated in private before searching for a way to block out my programming once I heard a friend of mine, Aeon actually helped the Rebellion."

"Programming?" Joseph said, remembering how the flesh buds Dio used brainwashed good people like Kakyoin and Polnareff during his Crusade to help his daughter, Holy, "How did you manage to break that?"

"He needed to merge with someone and since he targeted my younger brother, Marik, I sacrificed myself and teleported us away so that my brother wouldn't see it happen." Marduk then said, "As a result... I subjected us both to a curse my father placed on me under duress, where my spirit would wander and possess the recently dead and reanimate them... at the cost of our memories being sealed."

"And each time we die, we jump to the next body and repeat the process again and again, only being aware of ourselves in dreams and nightmares," Chance said in annoyance, "But eh, I'll admit this body we're using, Caesar Daemonia, ain't too bad on the eyes... Might make finding the counterplay easier."

"Okay..." Joseph said while a little weirded out by all this, "So... why are we apparently sharing a dream?"

"Oh, that," Marduk said with a nervous laugh, "We tried contacting you and your friends, but you were the only one we could connect to. Maybe because of our host being a counterpart to your friend, maybe because of other reasons, I'm not sure."

"And... why were you trying to contact us?" Joseph asked, this time with a more serious tone in his voice.

"Because Marduk's psychic or something, and foresaw my former co-worker, Karas taking over the world," Chance then said as he shuffled his deck of cards, just as the door to the drawing room opened, "Well, that's new."

As Joseph looked towards the door, he saw the face of Caesar Zeppeli- the green eyes, the messy blond hair, even the same purple markings on his face! Joseph was speechless, as was the other Caesar dressed in a white shirt, dark gray vest, and pants, as well as white gloves and black shoes. In fact, as Joseph realized, he looked a lot like a butler in those clothes.

"C...Caesar?" Joseph then said, just before he felt something hit his chest as the world went black, followed by something wet being dragged across his face. When he opened his eyes though, he saw the wolfish face of Alphonse the ALphyn, the blue-scaled and brown furred beast laying on his body and licking his face.

"OKAY! I'M UP!" Joseph said as he pushed the Saint Bernard-sized beast off of him, "You can stop licking my face!"  


~0~

Caesar Daemonia awoke with a start after the strange dream he had, where he was exploring an unknown manor before entering the drawing room and saw three strangers. Though he didn't know who they were, two of them- the demon and the man in the top hat seemed familiar, while the last stranger seemed to know his name already.

He heard the door open then and saw his mistress Luna Lupo enter the room, a worried look on her face.

"Caesar, is everything alright?" said the gray-haired wolf girl to her beloved butler and bodyguard,"No one's seen you all morning, and you usually don't oversleep so--- wait, since when did you play Solitaire?"

"Huh?" Caesar said in confusion, before realizing that he was sitting at a table in his room, while a game of solitaire was going on in front of him, "That's weird... where did these cards come from?"

"Wait, they're not yours?" Luna said in confusion as she moved closer to investigate and sniffed them, "They smell like you, Caesar, then again, someone could have rubbed your scent on them while you were asleep..."

"I see," Caesar said before he got up and sighed before realizing he was wearing only a nightshirt, "Luna, I need to get dressed and get to work, I'm late enough as it is."

"Alright, we can talk later then," Luna said as she left the room, and leaving Caesar alone in his thoughts.

 _This isn't the first time something strange has happened while I dreamt of that strange manor,_  he thought to himself as he got dressed,  _The dice that appeared that I had to hide from Luna, the ripped pillows, the way some mornings look like a tornado went off in my room, I'm starting to wonder if I pissed off a faerie and this is their revenge on me. Though, those three strangers in the manor, are they real people, or just a part of the dream? Could they also be connected to the memories I'm missing from my childhood?  
_  
Caesar sighed as he buttoned up his shirt, "I wish I had some answers..."  


~0~

Jotaro Kujo sat in Thornsborough's White Dragon Tavern, drinking a mug of ale while Irene and Carmen were out buying supplies for the road ahead- including medical supplies in the event something happened to the blonde gem-witch. Though, as Jotaro thought about it, he realized that Carmen was not just a good fighter, but her knowledge of medicine would come in handy in the future in the event that they encountered something they weren't prepared for.

 _What am I even thinking?_  he then thought to himself,  _I'm not even sure if this world is real or not. I mean, Magic? Shapeshifters? Those can't exist... this has to be a stand's effect, right?  
_  
"Something troubling you, stranger?" a voice then said next to him, causing Jotaro to flinch slightly as he looked to his right and saw a slightly older man with short brown hair, and wearing a black shirt and pants with a blue tunic and brown boots. Most important about the man's face though, was the man's bright blue eye and the eyepatch that barely hid the wicked scar surrounding the other eye.

"None of your business," Jotaro said, much to the stranger's annoyance.

"Now, now," the strange then said as he introduced himself, "Let Old Michael Adven guess what the trouble is then. Women?"

"No." Jotaro said flatly, "I don't care for women to be honest."

"Then, how about men?"

"Wrong again."

"Hmm, what about the current news about the Prince?" Michael said casually, "You seem to be a Knight undercover going by your pin, but then again that's just me."

"Do you know something about the prince?" Jotaro asked then, "Because any information could be useful."

"Well, the only information I have is that he'll be rescued eventually- that's how this story usually goes, isn't it?" Michael said as he paid for both of their drinks and stood up and picked up a plain looking walking stick, "Well, I need to get going, Mr. Knight, good luck on your adventure."

"Wait, what?" Jotaro said, but in a blink, the man was gone, just as the bartender walked up to the teen.

"Must have been a faerie," the bartender said, "Though, which one I don't know for sure, could be Puck for all I know... though, he tends to use a similar name to Adven."

"Puck?" Jotaro asked, before remembering Pietro's lecture on the Blue Faerie Empire, "Why would he disguise himself as a human?"

"Puck's a trickster, lad," the bartender said, "it's why I always have sweets stocked in my tavern, helps to curry his favor in case he decides to visit... he may be a hero, but I'd rather not get my milk turned into butter for a few months ."

"I see," Jotaro said, "Any idea what Puck normally looks like?"

"Oh, white long hair, bright blue eyes, seems to love wearing purple or lavender, as expensive as the former is," the bartender said, "Even his armor's lavender with a white cape that can turn into dragonfly wings."

"Thanks for the info," Jotaro said, "I'll be sure to keep it in mind if I see him."

"Surprised you didn't know about Puck, I'm pretty sure the Knight Academy on White Mountain goes over him thanks to his role in history."

"Not from Miravel, I'm from Usaginaba," Jotaro lied as he finished off his drink and stood up, "So, I don't think Puck ever visited."

"Fair enough lad," the bartender said as he turned around to take care of other patrons, while Jotaro left the tavern. The teen had a lot on his mind about the world of Fanterra, and even as he thought of how strange it was, he just couldn't figure out who was behind this creation- if it was just a stand's ability, and why. Could it be possible that one of DIO's remaining servants is behind this? If so, what could they be after? Revenge?

Most likely, as it seemed that DIO had an insane amount of charisma. Yet, if it was just to kill Joseph and Jotaro, why would this world have reflections of people Jotaro had never even met along with those he'd had? More importantly, what about Prince Jonathan, who was a doppelganger for a man neither Jotaro or his grandfather had met. That alone seemed like a mystery on its own, or an attempt by a clever stand user to be thorough in making sure this seemed like a separate world.

Though, the thought of something else came to mind to the teen as he walked through the town of Thornsborough, a certain journal that Jotaro had read through before burning it on his way to the airport.

DIO's journal.

"Could whoever is behind this, be after that information?" Jotaro then said to himself as he walked along, only for a voice to cut into his thoughts.

"What information?" said Carmen Wood, causing Jotaro to flinch as he turned to see the shapeshifter and Irene with a few bags of supplies.

"Nothing, just... something personal I'd rather not go into," Jotaro said, only for Carmen to speak up again.

"What, are you worried about your mother or something?" she said, while Irene raised an eyebrow, unsure what the shapeshifter was up to.

"... a little bit." Jotaro said quietly, "Come on, let's just finish getting supplies, ok?"

"But Jotaro-" Irene said, only to be cut off by Carmen.

"Leave it alone Irene," Carmen said, "He'll talk when he's ready, right? So just don't bug him with questions, ok?"

"Fine..." Irene said with a sigh, "we still got some stuff to pack at Carmen's shop, so let's get going, I want to try leaving today."  


~0~

In the town of Unicorn's Blade, Pierre Polheffer was standing next to the old dried well on this foggy morning, now boarded up to prevent more toads from spawning inside with magic. His thoughts were filled with hatred for the mage Netanel, and what was more- he was confused about wanting to outright murder the man.

"A knight shouldn't have to kill or let personal feelings cloud their judgment..." he said to himself, "So, why am I letting this bastard get to me?"

"Maybe it's because Netanel is so heartless... that it's affecting you?" he then heard a voice behind him say, only to turn around to see Renee holding a large box in her arms before she set it down on the ground.

"What?" Pierre said, "Could... could that even be possible?"

"Well, I did stay with him for a month," Renee said, "And... he treated me more like an experiment than a wife. I'm... not even sure if he had a heart, to begin with."

"He thinks he loves you though," Pierre said, "And... he probably wouldn't have done all this if I hadn't rescued you."

"He would have if he had spotted you at the pond," Renee said, "And honestly, I don't want to go back to him. I don't want to return to how he treated me, to... to go back to being his toy. Please, Pierre, you can't let him win! You can't let him take me away again!"

Pierre was surprised as Renee wrapped her arms around him, before returning the gesture with a hug of his own as he realized she was crying. However, he also remembered what Renee and Marik had said to him regarding Netanel's treatment of Renee, how he wanted to make her into someone else instead of leaving her personality and body alone. The things he had been able to imagine made his blood run cold with anger, while those he didn't want to imagine but did anyway, made his heart burn with sheer rage. To think, such a monster existed in a world such as this! That anyone would even think of doing such a thing to a genuinely nice girl, just because they felt they had power over her!

It sickened him.

"Renee, I swear I won't let him get you," Pierre then said, "However.... that unicorn he's raised from the dead, I'm not even sure the sword used upon it before will work again."

The blade Alexandros said nothing, but its eyes glowed with rage at the unintentional insult.

"Don't worry," Renee said with a smile as she held up a finger on her clawed hand, and gave a wink to her husband, "I've been working on some armor to go with the blade if you are willing to wear it."

"Anything to protect you, Renee," Pierre said as she opened the box containing the armor. His eyes widened at the sight of the armor within, the craftsmanship looking amazingly stable as he turned to his wife and smiled, "Is this... what I think it is?"

"Yep~!," Renee said with a small laugh, "A new set of Legendary Armor, just for you! I mean, you're forging a new legend with what's going on, right? So... I figured you'd need some new armor to go with your story right now."

"Renee, it's beautiful!" Pierre said as he kissed her on the cheek, "But, how will I carry it around at all times?"

"Can I see your wind up key for a moment?" Renee then asked, and once Pierre complied, he watched as she mumbled something and caused both key and armor to glow in a golden light. Next thing he knew, the armor was gone, and the key itself had gained a small, silver unicorn's head in each half of the pink enameled broken heart, and once it was returned he happily slipped it on with a smile as he spoke.

"Thank you, Renee," he said as people started to come out of their homes to try and work as usual, though the ominous fog still lingered in the sunlight. Pierre's face became serious then as he realized it was magic making it linger, and so he called out to the one man who he knew would do such a thing."Netanel!" he cried, "End your tricks you vile mage, for it is time to bring in a new age! So, bring on your beast, Warlock! For I shall slay it like the hero of this town did so long ago, and then your life shall be forfeit!"   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the Cold Play Song "When I Ruled the World (Viva la Vida) If I'm wrong about the title, please feel free to correct me. 
> 
> So, in this chapter, we learn that Amelia's a mom, and possibly undead. Also, Little Diego is not an alternate of Part Seven's Diego, while his brother Ib is named for a character from a Hans Christian Andersen Story called Ib and Little Christina... which is a festival of Feels and I suggest you read it some time.
> 
> Next, we learn the identity of the fake Caesar from waaaaaaaaaaay back in the Prologue- and he is none other than Marduk Zavriel. Also, Marduk is not only in Caesar Daemonia's body, but so is Chance Mat. Also, that bit with Caesar and Luna? Unplanned.
> 
> Finally, Pierre gets some new armor and this is, of course, going to lead in straight into the next chapter- and man, am I excited about it!
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune- It's time to do in the Wizard.


	27. Space Unicorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the first act of the story.

The town of Unicorn's Blade, a town that was recently cursed and saved through the efforts of local Knight, Pierre Vojtech Polheffer. Unfortunately, on this foggy morning, the civilians would learn just what else happened soon after the curse was lifted.  
  
"Netanel!" the people who left their homes that morning had heard Pierre cry out, "End your tricks you vile mage, for it is time to bring in a new age! So, bring on your beast, Warlock! For I shall slay it like the hero of this town did so long ago, and then your life shall be forfeit!"  
  
To the villagers, those last few words were shocking to hear. Was Pierre Polheffer actually wishing to take a life? The man always went by Knight's Protocol and arrested men before judging them! Was this Netanel really so heartless as to make Pierre want to kill? Or was there something else the knight didn't want people to know?  
  
Whatever the reason, it would have to wait as the fog began to lift a little and reveal the walking corpse of large unicorn- larger than any steed the people of Unicorn's Blade had ever seen before in their lives! It's body, though decayed still somehow had a grotesque beauty to it, and its exposed muscle showed that it was probably had been rather strong in life. Though, the exposed bones beneath the muscle were enough to make parents send their young children back into the house to hide, as did several townspeople did as well, though a few opened their windows to watch the showdown as Pierre drew the crystalline purple and black blade the town was named for and said two rather surprising words.  
  
["Armor on!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17o1OlroNSE)  
  
Pierre then rushed forward as his pendant then glowed brightly, colored lights trailing behind him as he rose into the air just as the undead beast charged. Though the beast's horn was broken, it still tried to impale the knight, only to be met with a rainbow shield before being impaled onto the blade that poked through the light. Then, the corpse vanished from sight as a man's shout rang through the air.  
  
"NO!" said Netanel as he appeared in view, and sent fireballs at the transforming knight, only for the rainbow shield to come to life and absorb the hits- fluttering in the breeze like a cape as people saw the navy night sky appear in the rainbow, filled with stars that also acted to protect Pierre. In fact, the stars seemed to send out tiny beams of light as thin as needles against Netanel and making holes the size of marshmallows upon impact with his robe.  
  
"NO! DAMMIT! I WON'T LET YOU WIN!" Netanel screamed, his torn robe revealing the clockwork limbs hidden beneath it, "SHE'S MINE!"  
  
"The hell I am!" Renee cried out from the newly gathering crowd as the light around Pierre began to fade, revealing in his place a man with unicorn themed armor- a horn just above his crystal visor, a capelet on his shoulder showing a rainbow coming from the full moon at night. The black armor had a silver plume to act as a mane, while silver gauntlets covered Pierre's arms and black sabatons added protection to his mechanical legs. He was not an imposing looking figure, but the figure of a man who protected people from danger.  
  
The very hero that Unicorn's Blade needed after oh so long.  
  
"NO! DAMMIT! NO!" Netanel said as he launched a ball of iron towards Pierre with his magic, only for the caplet to come to life and deflect the projectile right back at Netanel, sending him to the ground. Then, Pierre charged and moved to kick Netanel, only for the mage to roll out of the way just in time. Next, the wicked wizard started to defy gravity as he lobbed balls of magic and iron at the knight, only for his capelet shield to deflect them. Pierre's horn then shone as a beam of light as white as starlight shot out at the mage, who was then knocked to the ground once more, only to be pinned there by Pierre's shiny metal foot as his blade was held against Netanel's throat.  
  
"Netanel, you are charged with stalking, cursing an entire village, and acts of a forceful nature upon a woman I love dearly," he said, while smiling for a brief moment as he heard Renee and also the traveler Veronica Zeppeli cheer from the street, "You also summoned a threat to this village from long ago, most likely in an attempt to kill me- now, what would you like your death to be?"  
  
"I'll only die by a goblin's hand, you bastard!" Netanel screamed before a wilder look entered his red eyes as he added, "Too bad, you won't be around to see it!"  
  
With that, he then started chanting, Pierre caught off guard as he jumped back and started to find himself slipping into the ground- a portal opening beneath him. Though, when he was halfway through, Renee flew in from the street and wrapped her chain around his arms to try and keep him on this side.  
  
"Pierre, just, try and climb up!" Renee said as she struggled to keep Pierre from falling through the portal, though try as he might, the portal's pull was too great, even when Veronica jumped in to help pull him up. Sadly, their efforts would be in vain as the portal closed on the chain, cutting it as Renee soon let out a scream and passed out in Veronica's arms.  
  
With his rival gone, Netanel stood up and smiled in his tattered robes.  
  
"Now then... to get what I came for..." he said with a heavy breath, and would have been able to capture Renee, had it not been for the villagers who saw the sight pick up whatever they could and get between the two girls and the mage.  
  
"Hey! He sent away our town's hero!"  
  
"Bring back Pierre, you ill-begotten son of a wombat!"  
  
"He cursed my daughter! I say we hang him!"  
  
"YEAH!" the angry mob shouted, while the more beastly members of Unicorns Blade and a few travelers howled, roared and brayed before charging towards the mage with their makeshift weapons of farm tools, torches and for one villager, in particular, a sledgehammer.  
  
Veronica, however, took this chance to take the unconscious Renee and escape into the forest, while hoping that Netanel didn't see them.

~0~

"Gotcha!" Bowie said as he grabbed the young Anne after she infiltrated his castle again, the girl squealing as she kicked the air while Bowie picked her up off the ground and turned her to face him.  
  
"Sweet Crackernuts, you're good at this!" she then said with a laugh as she was set down, while the Goblin King laughed with her, only to pat her head and smile a grin full of sharp teeth.  
  
"Well, a villain has to be on his toes, much like a hero, correct?" the goblin then said with another laugh, "But, you're young, and you'll get better with time."  
  
"Hehe, thanks!" Anne then said as she ran a hand through her long black hair, "You know, if we weren't supposed to be enemies, I wouldn't mind having you as a dad, Bowie! You're a fun guy to hang around!"  
  
Now that, caught Bowie by surprise. Him? A father? Well, he did enjoy the girl's company, and while the idea of adoption had floated in his mind now and then, he knew it probably wouldn't work out. He was a villain, she was a heroine, and they'd come to odds for real sooner or later. Still, the prospect was enticing, to have an adopted daughter he could mold into a proper heir for when he wished to retire as ruler of Labrys. Then again, she was human and not a fairy, so she'd grow old and die eventually, and Bowie just didn't want to risk turning the kid into a goblin and erase who she was.  
  
He may have been a villain, but even he had sta---  
  
"Oh yeah, before I forget," Anne then said, drawing Bowie out of his thoughts, "Matron Kyrie wants to know if you'll be coming over for dinner tonight?"  
  
Well, another surprise!  
  
"Hm? Well, it depends, what are you having for dinner?" Bowie then asked casually, though he was also doing his best not to panic since he'd just been invited to dinner by a rather nice woman. In all honesty, he'd never been invited to dinner by anyone but the Blue Faerie, and as he felt obliged to at least see what the meal was, he'd at least consider going.  
  
"Dumpling Soup." Anne said, "Since Matron's been blinded by Amelia, I have to help prepare everything since I'm the oldest... here's hoping things go well."  
  
"I'm sure they'll be delicious," Bowie said with a smile, "Just follow her instructions also... erm... tell her I'll be there tonight."  
  
"Alright!" Anne said with a smile, and not even noticing the goblin king blushing a nice shade of brown through his green skin, before she ran out of the throne room with a laugh. Though, once she was gone, the goblin sensed a chill in the air as Amelia entered the room, her face showing her disgust for the girl as she spoke up.  
  
"I still don't understand why you insist on treating her like a friend when she's an enemy." the witch then said as she pulled a crystal ball out of her robe.  
  
"Simple, I treat her like I do because it's fun, plus it'll be harder for her to actually want to kill me if she remembers our encounters as being good in nature," Bowie said as he looked at the crystal ball, "So, how are the actual heroes doing?"  
  
"The two men and the stag are leaving Thornborough with a shapeshifter and Prince White's fiance," Amelia said, earning a glare from Bowie, "Sir?"  
  
"About Prince White... what exactly did you do to him?" the goblin then asked, "Because when I visited him this morning, he was in quite a bit of pain and his dragon, Danny, told me you placed a horrible curse on the prince, to make him wear the armor I copied."  
  
"It was not that awful a curse, he still has his free will," Amelia said before Bowie roared.  
  
"You stole his humanity away and Fafnir'd him! Free will or no if his father finds out, we are dead, Amelia! Do you understand me!?"  
  
"I don't care, we have another servant, do we not?" Amelia said only for Bowie to give her another glare as he reached up to his bandaged eye, only for Amelia to grow concerned, "Bowie, wait, your eye-"  
  
"Is completely regenerated, Amelia," Bowie said as he removed his bandages and showed her the brown eye underneath them- catlike just as his green one was, "Now, how are the other heroes doing?"  
  
"They..." Ameilia said before looking at her crystal ball, which showed a man in unicorn themed armor, fighting a mage before he was suddenly sent through a portal. Though, as Bowie saw the hellhound faerie who tried to save the man before she passed out from the strain, he frowned as he realized just who that hybrid belonged to.  
  
"So, it seems that Calina's daughter is in trouble..." he said in worry before he started heading towards the door to the throne room.  
  
"Bowie?" Amelia asked as she gave chase, "Where are you going?"  
  
"To help," Bowie said, "I believe the mage has ill intentions for that girl, and I felt it would be wise to stop that."  
  
"Why not just recruit the mage to our cause?" Amelia asked, only to earn another glare from Bowie.  
  
"Because he seems obsessed, and the last time I saw that kind of madness, Amelia, I was turned into a goblin against my will. I will not let Calina's daughter go through that hell of being forced into something if I have anything to say about it."  
  
With that said, Bowie then vanished from sight, leaving Amelia alone in the castle. She was confused. Why would a goblin help the child of his enemy? Surely he had a reason if he wasn't going to do so out of genuine concern. In fact, perhaps he'd be doing it for a favor? Yes, that seemed to make more sense... there was no way a villain such as Bowie, could actually have a heart and genuinely respect a monster-loving whore like Calina Zavriel, right? That would be impossible. A Villain was a villain no matter what.  
  
Weren't they?

~0~

Veronica stopped to catch her breath while running with Renee in the woods. With the hellhound fae unconscious as her chain repaired herself, the scarf wearing Zeppeli was worried. She'd never fought a wizard before, and in all honesty, was worried her Hamon might be useless against Netanel, especially since she had learned from Ricky that he'd replaced his limbs with clockwork as though he was some sort of cyborg. After all, Hamon could break stone while leaving a frog unharmed, but a metal could conduct hamon, especially when oiled, she also knew that there were some metal oxides and alloys that couldn't conduct it, and she wasn't sure just whether or not those oxides and alloys had been used in this world yet or not.  
  
In other words, if she didn't know what Netanel's limbs were made of, she wasn't sure if hamon could be conducted through it.  
  
It was at that moment, that Veronica heard a noise, and upon looking around, saw that Renee was waking up.  
  
"Where...where am I?" she said, while Veronica moved to steady her as she sat up against a tree.  
  
"We're in the woods...well, somewhere in the woods," Veronica said as she looked around nervously, "You passed out after Pierre fell through the portal."  
  
"Pierre? Oh, I hope he's ok..." Renee said, before raising her sleeve and showing Veronica a golden bracelet with a dog-shaped blue gem in it, causing the silver-haired girl to gasp in surprise.  
  
"Wait, are you and Pierre engaged?" Veronica then asked, before revealing the gold collar upon her neck as well.  
  
"Yeah," Renee said with a sheepish smile, "He ended up saving my life, though, as one bride to another, how did you meet your husband?"  
  
"I haven't... not while awake anyway," Veronica said as she dusted off the sleeve of her blue shirt, "To be honest, I found the gemstone first before I met him in a dream."  
  
"Wow, finding the stone before meeting the man it's associated with?" Renee said in surprise, "I haven't heard of anything like that from mom or Aunt Malefica, but maybe you found it for a reason?"  
  
"Well... this is a fairy tale world," Veronica said, "I guess... there's a story that needs a heroine, and I got stuck with the job. Though, I like Kakyoin... Ethereas, whatever his name really is, so... I don't mind it at all."  
  
"That's good," Renee said, "If you didn't, I'd have helped you break out of the marriage with my powers... only a fae can break these wedding bands we wear after all."  
  
"I see, thanks for the info," Veronica said with a smile, though just as she was about to ask something else, vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around her, binding her limbs together as she tried to breathe and get her Hamon energies flowing.  
  
"Wh-What the hell is this Evil Dead Bullshit!?" Veronica said as she struggled, only for a vine to wrap around her throat as the white-haired and dark-skinned mage, Netanel stepped into the clearing. His red eyes shining with madness as his robes were tattered. His once braided hair was now loosely hanging on his head, while his mechanical limbs were broken. One arm completely removed while his feet were in pieces as he crawled towards Renee with his good arm. He looked like a hurricane had been thrown at him, while his back had clear claw marks on it as he winced in pain and laughed.  
  
"Hello... Renee..." he said with a grin as the hellhound faerie stepped back from the stalker.  
  
"G-Get away from me, Netanel!" she said, while the mage looked at her in confusion.  
  
"But, Renee, I'm your husband, remember?" he said, "Did... Did Marik mess with your memories?"  
  
"He did not!" Renee barked, while her chain moved to defend her from harm, "Now go away, and let my friend go!"  
  
"No!" Netanel shouted as he moved closer, "I came here to save you, Renee, to... to marry you like I planned! I won't leave without you!"  
  
"Go away!" Renee said, "You... You monster! You treated me like a science experiment, not a wife! You forced yourself upon me, one of your friends tried to have me bound and killed, and that's not even getting into your plans for immortality and becoming a god!"  
  
"But, but you'd be a goddess! People would have worshipped you!" Netanel said, only for Renee's chain to smack him in the back.  
  
"I didn't want any of that!" Renee said, "I like being a blacksmith, being treated like a normal person- not... not some sort of deity! I'm a faerie, and you... you never cared about anything but your own desires, Netanel!"  
  
"I cared for you, Renee," Netanel said, "And I still do... leave Pierre behind and come back to me, or else, I'll kill your friend! Though, you could kill me instead?"  
  
"No," Renee said as Veronica watched the hellhound faerie growl as she retracted her chain, "I won't kill you, Netanel. Not because I care for you, but because I don't want your soul hanging around me for all eternity!"  
  
"Renee, don't you understand?" Netanel then said as he crawled closer to Renee, "Nothing will keep me away from you..."  
  
"Nothing?" a voice then rang out in the clearing, one that was unfamiliar to both Renee and Veronica as Netanel didn't seem to notice as he answered back.  
  
"NOTHING!" he cried, only to be stabbed in the back by a sword with a squirrel-shaped handle, the owner being a tall green man in black with long, pointed ears and mismatched eyes- one green the other brown. He was also handsome, despite the sharp teeth in his mouth, and as Veronica watched as his wild white hair flowed in the wind, both soon became confused as he spoke again.  
  
"Tra-la-la," he said, as he pulled out his sword and put it in his scabbard, which turned out to be the shaft of a cane that he then leaned on, before looking at the two girls in concern, "Are you both alright? There is no telling what sort of trash could be thrown away in the woods."  
  
"I'm alright," said Renee before noticing that Veronica was still wrapped up in vines, "Though my friend--"  
  
"Say no more," the stranger said as he drew his now clean sword and sliced the vines away from Veronica's body, "Now, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Bowie, a pleasure to meet both of you."  
  
"B-Bowie!? The guy who had Marduk kidnapped!?" Renee said in surprise, while Veronica flinched at the revelation.  
  
"Wait, we were just saved by a kidnapper!?" the silver-haired girl then said, while Renee nodded.  
  
"Yeah," said the hellhound faerie grimly, "and what's worse, we owe him a favor, don't we?"  
  
"Indeed you do!" Bowie said with a smile before he started to name his reward. "Now then, from you, Miss Hellhound, I'd like you to find me something that'd break any curse."  
  
"Fine," Renee said sternly, "What do you need it for?"  
  
"You, Miss Zavriel, wouldn't believe me if I told you," Bowie said before turning towards Veronica, "Now, for the favor that I want from you..."  
  
"I'm not going to let you kidnap me," Veronica then said, "I've already had that happen to me, and honestly? I don't want it to happen again."  
  
"Oh please, the thought never even crossed my mind," Bowie said, "All I want from you, Miss Zeppeli, is to find Ethereas, nothing more and nothing less."  
  
"What?" Veronica said, "Okay, how the hell did you know who I am, and more importantly, about Ethereas?"  
  
"Sorry, can't tell you yet, dear Veronica," Bowie then said with a grin as he sniffed the air, "Besides, I smell a manticore coming, so... farewell for now!"  
  
With that, he vanished from sight, while Renee grumbled a bit as Marik entered the clearing, his stinger raised and ready to strike as he sniffed the area, before seeing the corpse of Netanel, and also struck it with his stinger for good measure.  
  
"Are you two alright?" Marik then asked once he calmed down and his glowing blue eyes turning back to yellow for the moment, genuine concern flowing in his voice, "I smelled a goblin in the air, and I-"  
  
"We're fine," said Renee as Veronica backed away from the corpse rather quickly, "Bowie saved us by killing Netanel."  
  
"He what!?" Marik roared, "Did he ask you for anything?"  
  
"Yeah, a curse-breaker from Renee, and for me to find Ethereas," Veronica said, while Marik frowned and crossed his arms in thought.  
  
"I see..." he said, before wondering in silence about Bowie's motive, "Did he say why?"  
  
"No," both girls said, causing the manticore faerie to punch a tree in anger.  
  
"Dammit!" he said, "I don't know what he's up to, but we best be careful from now on, understand?"  
  
"Yeah... I erm... d-don't want to end up dead, after all." Veronica said nervously before she started walking out of the clearing, "H-How about we start getting back to town?"  
  
"Yeah... that's a good idea." Renee said as she went over to Veronica and redirected her path. Marik however, followed in silence, his thoughts on what Bowie might be planning, especially if he wanted revenge on Marik for what he did so very long ago. Then again, not even the fae knew what each other could be thinking...

~0~

_I can't believe I'm stuck driving this thing..._  Jotaro thought as he directed the unicorns pulling their new covered wagon from Sue under Carmen's instruction.  
  
"Hey, you're pulling too hard," said the shapeshifter, "Lighten up and we'll go faster!"  
  
"Right," Jotaro then said, before mumbling under his breath.  
  
"What was that?" Carmen said with a glare before Jotaro spoke a little louder.  
  
"I said, I could do without your backseat driving!"  
  
"The unicorns slowing down say otherwise!"  
  
"Fine, then how about you drive!?" Jotaro then snapped at the shapeshifter before handing her the reins, only for her to refuse to take them.  
  
"Cause you need to learn how to drive, knight boy!" Carmen said before looking ahead and pointing at the sky, "What the hell is that!?"  
  
"What?" Jotaro said before summoning Star Platinum halfway from his body, and using his stand's eyesight to look into the distance. To his surprise, he saw what looked like Polnareff in unicorn themed armor holding on for dear life to a chain in the sky itself. While he couldn't make out what he was saying, he did wonder if he was hanging through a portal as it began to close on him. Then, the chain snapped as he began to fall, followed by something running his way before it leaped up and caught him. Curious, Jotaro focused on that, only to see what looked like a mutated, black and white dog covered in chains running towards the wagon.  
  
Then, came the feeling of a knife in his skull as Jotaro felt like something was cutting into his head at that moment. He screamed as he fell back, causing Carmen to quickly pull him inside the wagon as she realized what was going on.  
  
"Carmen!?" Joseph said as he watched the shapeshifter shut the wagon from both ends, "What's going on!?"  
  
"Hellhound's on the way," Carmen said as the air started getting colder and howling could be heard in the distance as well as the rattling of chains, "Now, shut up and do what you can for Jotaro, he used his stand and saw the damn thing!"  
  
"R-Right!" Joseph said as he held his grandson tightly, while Irene used her magic to heal him. Pietro however, panicked and curled up into a ball nearby in the corner of the wagon, and did his best to remain silent with the rest of the group while Alphonse kept his master safe by curling up next to him.  
  
All while the rattling chains grew louder and louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the song "Space Unicorn" by Parry Gripp, which was also used in the show Star vs. the Forces of Evil as Marco's ringtone.
> 
> So, here we are at the end of the first act of Jojo's Bizarre Fairytale! As you can see, I also included a link to the song from the title, so not sure if I'll keep doing that or not, but let me know what y'all think, ok?
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: the second act begins...


	28. Ponponpon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bowie discovers a new ability and Jonathan's fate is revealed. Also, Team Jojo deals with the aftermath of a Hellhound's visit.

Bowie paced around in his throne room, feeling antsy about recent events in his life. Sure, Amelia released him from being a rather handsome statue for all eternity, but as time went on, and heroes from another world showed up in the past couple of weeks, he'd been on edge. Part of that edge was due to the recent discovery that Amelia may be undead, another reason due to having to out himself a bit too early in rescuing Renee Zavriel and Veronica Zeppeli from the wicked Netanel. Yet another part of his anxiety came from the fact that thanks to Amelia, the prince of Miravel had been forced to share a heart with a dragon!  
  
"I go through the trouble of kidnapping him, with the intent of returning him safely to his father in a bid to make myself look like a hero, and now I risk a potential war because of Amelia!" he said, before realizing he was standing right in the middle of the throne room's curved ceiling, "Oh great, I'm so on edge, I'm defying physics! This will certainly be a pain to clean up!"  
  
It was then, that he began to fall, and as he cursed himself for questioning the impossible, he worried his time as a villain was at an end. Not because of heroes valiantly battling him to the death, but instead of the fact that he briefly defied gravity and so now had to pay for remembering that law.  
  
Thankfully, however, he did not fall to a painful yet comical death, as his body was instead caught by his prisoner, Prince Jonathan White.  
  
"You should really be more careful, King Bowie," the prince then said, while Bowie's green skin turned slightly brown from embarrassment.  
  
"You don't need to treat me with such respect after I've kidnapped you, and unfortunately let you share a heart with a dragon while I was away on business," said the goblin king, only for Jonathan to shake his head and smile.  
  
"I may have been brought back from the threshold by Danny, but father always told me to treat my elders and others of nobility with respect," Jonathan then said politely. Though, before Bowie could respond, he looked up at just what Jonathan was wearing on his head- a black draconic crown with a pale blue gem in the center.  
  
"I see you're wearing the crown I made for you," Bowie then said, as the prince nodded.  
  
"Yes, I... decided to take your offer to work for you as your knight, at least until I'm either rescued or cured of my condition- if there is a cure for sharing a dragon's heart."  
  
Bowie was silent as he was set down on the ground by the giant of a prince, his thoughts reminding him of how he too, was human once before it was taken away by the wicked Blue Faerie. However, for Jonathan, as Bowie understood what getting Fafnired meant, the prince of Miravel had lost much more. He didn't just risk losing his kind soul to the dragon's heart now in his body, but Jonathan also lost his very life, if only briefly. Eventually, Jonathan would slowly turn into a dragon himself, and as far as Bowie was aware, there really wasn't a cure.  
  
Still, it did not mean Bowie would not try to find a way to reverse the curse. That is why they had set up a deal- Jonathan would act as his temporary knight captain and wear the copy of the Dragon Knight's Armor Bowie had created until the prince was either rescued or until Bowie found a way to reverse being a Fafnir.  
  
"I see," Bowie then said, "Also, I've considered your request about being allowed to contact the Magic Mirror."  
  
"You have!?" Jonathan then said in surprise, before sounding concerned, "I don't think you'd allow me such a thing, considering that I'm your prisoner."  
  
"I'm aware," Bowie said, "However, I've decided to allow it, but with a couple of stipulations, dear prince."  
  
"What would those stipulations be, King Bowie?" Jonathan then asked, causing the goblin king to smile as he answered.  
  
"First, you cannot mention my name as your captor, nor can you tell anyone you're on Labrys," Bowie began, "Second, you can't let anyone know of our deal, even after you are rescued."  
  
"But why?" Jonathan said before realization hit him, "You don't want to risk a war, do you?"  
  
"Exactly," Bowie said with a nod before he moved to sit down on the old, broken throne at the back of the room, while Jonathan followed after him. "I do not want to subject my newly recovered kingdom to a war, especially when it doesn't even have a military. However, not everyone believes me to be a just ruler, and as I don't know if I  _can_  rule... I need help from someone who has been trained to take the throne."  
  
"You need me," Jonathan said as he crossed his arms and watched as Bowie lazed on his throne, tapping his cane against his boot and doing his best to hide the fact he was blushing from embarrassment. At least, the prince thought that the goblin was blushing, judging by how his green cheeks turned brown. However, the prince's anger soon showed itself as he added, "And what makes you think I'd be willing to aid you with being a good king after you've kidnapped me?"  
  
"Besides the fact that I'm working on a cure for your condition, your highness," Bowie then said as he looked up at the ceiling in annoyance, "There is a ruin I'm sure you'd be interested in to the north of the castle, I intend to go there myself later on, but I wouldn't mind if you wanted to explore it at your leisure, as long as you don't leave Labrys that is."  
  
"Do you really think you can placate me, with ruins?" Jonathan then asked, "King Bowie, even though you give me limited freedoms, I'm still your prisoner!"  
  
"I'm aware," Bowie said with a groan, "And you are by far the second most troublesome prisoner I've had since Ethereas Ghostwing before he vanished from Fanterra."  
  
"Ethereas Ghostwing?" Jonathan asked, "Who exactly is he? As far as I'm aware, the only Ghostwing was Salvador Spectralis."  
  
"For over a millennium, he was," Bowie said, "Ethereas is his long-lost younger brother, and as I recall, a tricky fellow who conned people with the aid of his partner, Marduk Zavriel. In fact, have you ever heard of the Birth of Draconia?"  
  
"The incident where the faeries are said to have created a kingdom for the dragons enslaved by the Empire?" Jonathan said, "Don't tell me that Draconia's existence was due to Ethereas, was it?"  
  
"Oh, believe me, it was..." Bowie said, "I'm still confused as to how he did it, but he somehow managed to convince several hundred dragons to not only start a kingdom but also freed them from the empire and convinced them to join Puck's Rebellion."  
  
"It's a shame that Draconia fell thanks to the acts of Princess Sara five hundred years ago..." Jonathan said, "I'm sure if he heard about that, Ethereas would be heartbroken."  
  
"It would have happened eventually," Bowie said, "All kingdoms fall in time, but I guess they can also be revived, in the case of Labrys."  
  
"Perhaps," Jonathan said before he walked over to the throne and picked Bowie up in his arms. Then, he set the king down on the broken throne so that he was sitting up straight, much to the goblin's further irritation, "Now don't slouch or lay on your throne like that, it's not only bad for your back, but would make the people think you're an uncaring king if they saw you like that!"  
  
"So you'll be helping me?" Bowie said with a bit of hope in his voice, with Jonathan smiling as he dismissed the black draconic armor he wore, revealing the pale blue shirt and brown pants he had on underneath.  
  
"For as long as I'm here," Jonathan promised, "Now, about your image, I was thinking you made a good start with playing with those orphans the day before yesterday."  
  
"I thought so too," Bowie said with a smile, "In fact, I think I may adopt one of them- Anne, to be specific."  
  
"The girl who keeps breaking into the castle?" Jonathan said in surprise, "She actually came into the dungeon through a secret passage once to visit Danny."  
  
"You've met her then?" Bowie said in surprise, "When exactly, and I wonder how I didn't see her before the other day?"  
  
"Well, she hid behind Danny in his dragon form," Jonathan said, "It was the day you interrogated me after all, and the girl even loosened Danny's bonds a little just before you arrived."  
  
Well, this was certainly news to the goblin. If what Jonathan said was true, then Anne had overheard the interrogation and what Bowie had learned about it, from Draconia to the Peach Samurai of Usaginaba, and even that little slip up he made regarding Mother Hulda the Story Keeper! In fact, Bowie still wasn't sure on how he knew the woman's name when he didn't at the trial, and perhaps wondered if he really did harm her.  
  
No. He couldn't have done that. He couldn't have harmed someone so important to Fanterra, could he? That would be impossible since he never did find out where she was, and even then, what would he even want with harming a historian? What would he even be after in her domain, where ever it may have been hidden?  
  
And yet, sadly, he could begin to see why they thought he had done it- he was immune to iron's burn for some unknown reason, and she had been said to have signs of being harmed by iron from what he recalled about his trial. However, he knew deep in his heart that he couldn't have done it, his innocence of the crime had to be true! It just had to!  
  
Still, the inconsistency caused by his mention her name bothered him.  
  
"Something on your mind, your majesty?" Jonathan then said causing the goblin to flinch and draw him out of his thoughts.  
  
"Hm? Oh, just thinking about how Anne would take the news of her potential adoption." Bowie then said, just as Amelia entered the throne room with Karas and a large man with long, messy black hair and golden eyes trailing behind her. Though there was something familiar about the stranger, Bowie just couldn't put his finger on what it was, until Amelia spoke up.  
  
"Why would you want to adopt that brat!?" she said with a slight hiss in her voice, before clearing her throat and coldly adding, "I do not think it'd be wise to let her stay with us, Bowie."  
  
"She's fun," Bowie then said with a shrug as he leaned into his throne a bit, "Not to mention adopting one of the orphans would be good for my image as Labrys' new king- don't you want to make it hard for our enemies to attack us? I'm quite sure that attacking a good man would have hilarious repercussions among the populace during the aftermath."  
  
"This is an awful idea," Amelia said bluntly.  
  
"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Jonathan said with a smile, "Even an orphan needs a loving family, didn't your own family care for you, Amelia?"  
  
"My family disowned me for carrying on a tradition," Amelia said, "Have you not heard about the feud between the Reds and the Lupos, over in Ringaia?"  
  
"The feud's ended," Karas then said, "I watched... it myself, Amelia... It was... quite an entertaining affair..."  
  
"What!?" Amelia said, "How, how could the feud finally end!? Who gave the Lupos that basket and the Heart of Draco!?"  
  
"You're own...grandfather..." Karas said with a smirk in his eyes- his breathing apparatus having fully regenerated over his sideways mouth.  
  
"Wow," the man with the golden eyes then said, pulling out a pair of glasses from the pocket of a black waistcoat and slipping them on his face before he clapped his hands in admiration, "To think, whatever it was you did actually put an end a centuries-old feud, Amy, instead of prolonging it, if that ain't a royal fuck up, I don't know what is!"  
  
"Silence, Danti'lefthel!" Amelia said, causing Bowie to blink in confusion.  
  
"I'm sorry, but who the hell is this man?" the goblin then asked.  
  
"Right, you never saw my humanoid form, have you?" the golden-eyed man then said as he adjusted the sleeve of a white shirt, "I'm Danny the dragon, nice to fucking meet you."  
  
"Right," Bowie said, having forgotten that dragons could turn into a more humanoid form, "It's nice to meet you too, Danny, or do you prefer Danti'lef... Dante'thel...I'm sorry, but how do you even pronounce that name?"  
  
"As if you could anyway, only those who know the language of dragons know how to pronounce it... not sure how the witch learned it since we're stingy about who gets to know, but eh, I honestly don't care," Danny said, before looking at Amelia and adding, "Kurasa nadda ju'nit'kthefst gibral?"  
  
Bowie simply watched as Amelia turned red as her cloak, before slapping the dragon's face and leaving the room.  
  
"What did you say to her?" Bowie then asked, stunned quite a bit as Danny laughed.  
  
"Just teased her a bit, is all." Danny said with a smirk, "Besides, I'd rather not repeat myself in front of Jonathan, he'd punch me."  
  
"I could already feel the slap, Danny," Jonathan then said as he rubbed his cheek, while also moving away from Karas, "Also, what do you think of Bowie's idea to adopt Anne?"  
  
"Eh, I'm good with the idea," Danny then said with a shrug, "She's a good kid, though... if the goblin tries anything unseemly with her, I reserve the right to kill him for it."  
  
"N-Noted," Bowie then said with a gulp, his fear for the dragon quite apparent as Karas silently rubbed his temples with one hand, "Karas, how do you feel about adoption?"  
  
"I... don't care..." Karas then said before adjusting the collar of his coat, "She is... an okay child... I guess... Easy to... take care of..."  
  
"Thank you, Karas," Bowie said with a small smile, "Now then, while we're here I guess we should get down to business about the main contingency of my plan- giving myself a good image so that the heroes don't leave unscathed after my defeat."

~0~

Chains rattled outside the wagon, the group inside keeping their eyes shut as they hid from view of the hellhound. The sound of rattling chains echoing in the air as the monster drew closer and closer to the wagon. The group of heroes was terrified- one of their own had been critically injured just by seeing the thing, and now it was there. Whether to take Jotaro's life or something else, they didn't know, but as they heard the beast growl, all they could do was be silent and prayed it would leave them be. Though Joseph wanted to fight the monster, he realized he might end up like Jotaro or worse, dead with no way back if he even looked at the thing in person. He hated this, having to cower in fear like a child, all because of some dumb mutt!  
  
So, he decided to look up and see the monster's shadow- when nothing happened though, he realized the canvas barrier protected him from the mutated dog outside. He watched as the beast used a chain to drop off something or someone besides the wagon, before stopping to stare at the group- or rather, at Joseph, watching through the covered wagon. The brunette was silent though and watched as the monster's eyes glowed a bright blue, before something seemed to swirl around it as it began to move, the hellhound howling as it ran away. The rattling of chains grew softer and softer until finally, not a sound could be heard at all except the group's own breathing.  
  
"Is...Is it gone?" Carmen then said, causing Joseph to nod in silence, before looking at her in confusion.  
  
"What are you so afraid of?" Joseph then asked, "I thought you were some great slayer or something!"  
  
"I am," Carmen said, "And because of my time as Koriander the Slayer, the people I've killed kind of makes me a target for hellhounds- they kill people like me with their chains and have their souls stay with them for a time as penance."  
  
"I didn't see any souls around that thing's shadow..." Joseph said as he poked his head out of the wagon. To his surprise, there was what looked like his friend Jean Pierre Polnareff laying against the wagon's wheel, the man unconscious as he gripped a golden chain in his hand. Oddly enough though, Joseph also saw what looked like a figure made of sand that resembled a Boston terrier sitting in the man's lap. Joseph was surprised by this, especially since he only knew of one being who could probably have pulled off the sand sculpture.  
  
But, that was impossible! Joseph knew that Iggy was dead, Polnareff himself had told him and Jotaro after the battle with DIO!  
  
And yet, there was something familiar to Joseph about all this, a dream he'd partially forgotten until he met Marduk again. A dream that had Iggy become a monster thanks to a bigger one. As he recalled that dream, however, Joseph also remembered the moment his grandson died in it, how the evil priest would have gone after Joseph himself had it not been for that kid that came out of nowhere.  
  
A groan cut Joseph out of his thoughts then, causing the brunette to look at the silver-haired man on the ground. He wasn't waking up, he thought but seemed to move slightly as he pulled the chain closer to his body.  
  
"Renee..." Polnareff's double then mumbled, his eyes opened partially before they closed once again. Joseph wasn't sure what to say to that and instead moved to get the man into the wagon. However, the moment he tried to lift what he thought was Polnareff, he soon realized it was his Fanterran counterpart when he heard a clang of metal followed by ticking. At first, he thought the man had a watch on him that hit the armor he wore on his legs, though when he noticed that the black tunic wearing man didn't seem to have a pocket on his clothes, he looked down at the armored legs and pressed his ear against one of them.  
  
 _Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick_  he heard, and soon realized that the limbs were fake.  
  
"Joseph, what are you doing?" Pietro then said as he peeked out of the back of the wagon, only to see Joseph trying to lift the stranger who now had sand dusting his pants.  
  
"Just trying to get this guy into the wagon," Joseph said, grunting as he tried to use Hermit Purple to lift the man up off the ground. "He's got prosthetic legs, so he's heavier than he looks. Do you think you could lend me a hand?"  
  
"Of course," Pietro said as he hopped out of the wagon, and soon picked up the unconscious man's legs and carefully lifted him into the wagon. Though, once that was done, Pietro did let his eyes widen in recognition as he recalled a certain disaster from before.  
  
"Joseph," Pietro then said, "Isn't that your and Jotaro's friend, Polnareff? I recall Jotaro mentioning him when he and I saw him tied up in the Zavriel Grand Tree."  
  
"Looks like him, " Joseph said before shaking his head, "However, it isn't Polnareff, mainly due to the prosthetic legs."  
  
"I see, so he's a Fanterran..." Pietro then said with a nod, "However, I don't know who he is exactly."  
  
"So, you don't know everyone in the world?" Joseph said as he frowned, "Why didn't you say--- let me guess, you don't know everything?"  
  
"You're catching on," Pietro said dryly while Joseph grumbled a bit in annoyance.  
  
"Right.... well, do you know a person named Renee?" Joseph then asked, "He said that before he passed out."  
  
"375 women named Renee, 450 men named Rene," Pietro said, "It's a rather common name."  
  
"Well, what about the chain he's holding?" Joseph then asked, pointing to the golden chain in question, "Think that might be connected to one of them?"  
  
"Renee Zavriel." Pietro said then, "Daughter of Calina Zavriel and the Lord of all Hellhounds, Van Halen. She's an excellent blacksmith and jeweler and thankfully doesn't cause people to die, become critically injured or have terrible luck just by seeing her. She's also a close friend of mine, and... may be the only other person fully aware of... the incident I told you about at present."  
  
"How so?" Joseph asked, "Also... what does Renee look like?"  
  
"She was the one who found me first after... the deed was done," Pietro said, clearly uncomfortable as he conjured up a mirror that showed a worried looking faerie with wings that had dark blue and red markings, as well as yellow and white spots that came together to form the face of a demon, a blue dress and a gold tiara on her head. Her hair was long and white as it flowed down her back and her right arm looked downright monstrous, especially with the chain wrapped around it. Behind her though, it looked like she was packing her bags  
  
 _"Oh Pietro!"_  said the image, causing the stag to realize he had contacted the faerie by accident,  _"I didn't expect to see you so soon! Wait, are you with people?"  
_  
"Yes I am," Pietro said with a small smile, "I'm finally free, Renee."  
  
 _"That's great!"_ Renee then said, before taking a closer look at the mirror on her end, before spotting the chain,  _"Is that my chain? Is Pierre with you!?"  
_  
"You mean the guy a hellhound just dropped off?" said Joseph, before introducing himself and doing his best not to comment on the arm, "Anyway, I'm Joseph Joestar, nice to meet ya!"  
  
 _"I'm Renee Zavriel and I'm engaged,"_ Renee then said, before showing off the bracelet on her wrist that had a sapphire depicting a dog's head on it, before a look of relief crossed her face,  _"And I'm glad Pierre's with you Pietro, is he alright?"  
_  
"He's unconscious but alive." Pietro said, "A hellhound dropped him off, but we're not sure if it was your father or one of his agents."  
  
"Yeah, do Hellhounds normally manipulate sand?" Joseph then asked, getting a vague suspicion about the sand terrier left behind by the hellhound.  
  
 _"Oh? That sounds like the newest hellhound Daddy employed,"_  said Renee,  _"From what Daddy told me during his last visit a couple of weeks ago, his newest Hellhound, Iggy has this interesting talent for manipulating sand, which made trapping sinners and unrepentant evildoers easier. It's only been two months, but the little guy has been shooting up the ranks pretty quickly! Not to mention when I met him during Daddy's visit, I thought he was adorable!"  
_  
"Uh... right..." Joseph then said while Pietro kept his mouth shut for the moment, "So... uh... you're engaged? Who's the lucky man?"  
  
"Pierre Polheffer," Renee said with a smile, "Sure, he ended up accidentally getting engaged to me when he saved my life, but I'm willing to give him a chance, he's... he's a great guy!"  
  
"Congratulations, Renee," Pietro said with a smile, while Joseph couldn't help but be reminded of his daughter, Holy, especially when Renee smiled. Sure, the hellhound faerie looked nothing like his daughter, but as he looked into those red flecked amber eyes, he couldn't help but imagine his daughter acting the same way when she decided to get married. Sure, he still didn't approve of her saxophone playing husband, but he had to admit, she'd probably have done worse.  
  
 _"Thanks, Pietro!"_  Renee then said, drawing Joseph out of his thoughts,  _"To be honest, after my ex had sent Pierre through that portal, I was worried sick about him! I'm just glad he's safe and sound thanks to Iggy... and that my chain made it with him! I'll be weakened for a while, but if Pierre has a part of my chain... I trust he'll take care of it when he wakes up."  
_  
"So why is that chain so important, anyway?" Joseph then asked, causing Renee to sigh as she answered him.  
  
 _"Because a Hellhound's chain is the source of their power- the longer it is, the stronger they are, and while I'm pretty strong normally, Daddy is much stronger. He can even use his chains to grab a sinner from several leagues away!"  
_  
"Well, he is the Barghest Lord of All Hellhounds..." Pietro then said nervously before adding, "Renee, I've discovered a new ability after my release from the mirror, if you would like, I could bring you to Pierre so you can take him home."  
  
 _"I appreciate the offer but... I think it'd be more romantic if we reunited elsewhere,"_  Renee then said,  _"I've decided to go traveling to find Pierre, with Arachne and Marik's help of course and also with the help of Veronica and her friends! They're on her way to Appledale to meet more friends, and I thought it'd be a good idea to join them for a while."  
_  
"Appledale? That's where my companions and I are heading!" Pietro said, "Miss Zeppeli is who we're going to meet, in hopes we can solve a mystery involving the missing Prince of Miravel, and the being that brought her to Fanterra, Karas as well as how they may connect to a figure named Bowie."  
  
 _"I see,"_  Renee said, a look of dread on her face,  _"I need to get back to packing, but, if you need to remove Pierre's legs, the key is around his neck."_  
  
With that said, Renee then turned around as Pietro ended the accidental call, Joseph was busy frisking Pierre as Irene and Carmen headed out of the wagon to see what other damage was caused by the Hellhound's presence. As it turned out, the hellhound had killed the unicorns leading the wagon, and so after Carmen turned herself int into a horse, the blonde had to hitch the wagon to Carmen.   
  
Though, as Joseph worked, he looked back to Jotaro, unsure when and if he'd wake up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the Fafnir thing Jonathan now has was inspired by the movie Dragonheart- which is one of my favorites of all time 
> 
> Also, Iggy the Hellhound is not only a sign that Iggy the dog is alive... sort of... but it may also hint that someone else could be running around Fanterra as well! 
> 
> Next time on Stardust Soldiers of Fortune: Dreams can be quite revealing sometimes...


	29. Dreams Dreams

["So](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG64XRvzKeU)... ever play a video game?" Kakyoin asked Veronica inside the Palace of Dreams. The two were waiting for the arrival of Jotaro and Joseph into the dream world in order for Veronica to ask them about something important, and so to pass the time, the pair decided to talk.

"I've played games like Galaxian and Gauntlet at the arcade," Veronica said, "I'm pretty good at them!"

"Galaxian and Gauntlet? What kind of games are those?" Kakyoin asked as his eyes lit up with interest.

"Well, Galaxian is a space shooter where you play as a fighter pilot in space, having dogfights with hordes of bug-shaped starships, probably to protect the earth from them!" Veronica said enthusiastically, before moving onto her favorite game, "As for Gauntlet, it's a co-operative dungeon crawler where players pick a character- Merlin the wizard, Thor the warrior, Questor the elf or Thyra the Valkyrie. Together, the four players would crawl through a dungeon and try and survive by working together. In the sequel, they added classes so that multiple players could have the same class like a blue and red valkyrie working together!"

"You must really love Gauntlet," Kakyoin said with a chuckle, "What was your favorite class?"

"Valkyrie," Veronica said, "I'd happily support my teammates as one everytime, while my friends Pat and Bonnie played the wizard and elf classes respectively."

"Sounds quite complex," Kakyoin then said, "Though, have you ever played the Legend of Zelda or F-Mega?"

"I love Zelda!" Veronica said, "If it was possible, I'd play it right now!"

"Anything is possible in a dream," Kakyoin said before focusing and summoning a game console into the room, as well as a television and a generator for electricity.

"Up for a game?" Kakyoin then said with a smile, before gesturing to the Nintendo Console he conjured up, though as Veronica looked at it, she noticed it seemed different from what gray and black system she had back home. In fact, the system she was looking at was a red and white system with two controllers plugged into the sides of it, and a cartridge plugged into the top.

"Is that how an NES looks in Japan?" Veronica asked as she started the game, and was surprised the Legend of Zelda came up in English.

"Yes, but we call it the Famicom," Kakyoin said, "So, what will the rules be so we can both play?"

"We switch who's playing on a game over?" Veronica suggested as Kakyoin summoned up bowls of fruit next to them as Veronica sat on the floor next to them.

"Sounds fair," Kakyoin said as he started to eat a cherry- and also rolling the fruit with his tongue.

"Alright then, let's get started!" Veronica said with a smile, before popping a strawberry into her mouth and smiling as she started the quest to defeat Ganon.  


[~0~](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR0KAm92wyQ)

Joseph Joestar looked around the rose tree palace grounds in confusion. Last he recalled, he'd been dreaming of being home with his wife and daughter, before a blonde woman in rainbow armor showed up out of nowhere to punch him out.

"Man, this is a weird dream I'm having..." he said as he checked his jaw to see it was broken, "That blonde may have not only been a bombshell, she had a punch like a bomb as well! Yeesh, what kind of crazy broad was that?"

Once he finished checking for broken bones, he then knocked on the front door of the palace, only to flinch as it opened on its own.

"Holy shit!" he said, "I'm really hoping this isn't going to turn into a horror movie, the last thing I need is to see something like an undead Kars or DIO chasing me around!"

Entering the palace though, he shivered a bit as he found his clothes changed to a black turtleneck sweater with a red brooch at his neck, while a trenchcoat rested on his shoulders. His fedora was missing, but as he looked in the mirror on the wall, he saw that he was no longer the young man he had turned into in Fanterra, but the 65-year-old man he was back on Earth.

"Now I remember..." he said as he walked along the hallway, flinching as his voice had changed back to what it was on earth "This is what I was wearing when I first got to Japan, back when Jotaro first got his stand."

As he hummed to himself though, Joseph found himself a little irritated at the Japanese/Western aesthetic the palace interior was going for, not only was it a mess, in his opinion but as a real estate king, he wasn't sure if he could even sell this kind of place to anyone but a madman! Not to mention the upkeep would probably be expensive, along with renovations. Then again, how would he even sell an overblown treehouse, anyway?

"Wait, why am I thinking about business at a time like this!? I should be focusing on the fact that I'm in this place at all!" he then said as he shook his head, before stopping and turning behind him, "OH MY GOD!"

Behind him was an irritated-looking Hierophant Green, the stand wearing of all things a black vest and a bowtie, giving him the appearance of either a barkeep or a butler. Though, as Joseph saw the green and beige stand holding a candelabra, he immediately assumed it was the latter.

 _Wonder what's with the getup?_  Joseph thought to himself as the old man walked after the stand, and remembering that his grandson had mentioned sharing a dream with Veronica about Kakyoin. Though, as he realized that this may just be where the dream was shared. In fact, he even began to wonder if it wasn't just a shared dream between Jotaro and Veronica, but Kakyoin himself as well. He had seen plenty of strange things in Fanterra so far, including the fact that his arch nemesis, Kars, was alive and seemingly reformed, so it made sense that sharing dreams could be a thing. Not to mention that after nearly dying twice- first from betting his soul to D'arby, and the second from DIO himself, this was actually quite refreshing.

When the stand stopped and pointed him towards a door, Joseph said nothing as he was about to open it, only to hear two familiar voices on the other side.

 _"Hey, you're pretty good at this!"_

 _"Shush, Kakyoin, I'm trying to focus!"_

 _"Oh? Then how about you focus through this?"_

 _"Hahahahaa, no fair! Tickling shouldn't be allowed!"_

 _"All's fair in Love and War!"  
_  
As the laughter continued, Joseph decided to enter then, expecting Veronica and Kakyoin to be in the middle of something.

He just did not expect that something to be playing video games. In fact, it looked like Veronica was playing some game about a kid with a sword and fighting a giant pig monster!

"What's going on here?" Joseph then asked as he walked forward, before tripping over a wire and falling flat on his face. "Geeze! Watch where you're putting those wires, I could have killed myself by tripping, Kakyoin!"

"Sorry, Mister Joestar," Kakyoin said, only to jump up and stand up straight, "Mister Joestar! You're here!"

"Yeah... where ever here is..." Joseph said flatly, while Veronica stood up and blinked at the old man.

"Mister Joestar, you're an old man again! Did something happen?" Veronica said, causing Kakyoin to become confused.

"Again?" Kakyoin asked, "Mister Joestar, what does she mean?"

"Well, apparently in that world of Fanterra, I'm a young man again," Joseph explained casually, "Dunno how, but it doesn't seem to be dangerous."

"I... guess you have a point," Kakyoin said with a frown, the broken mask he wore exposing all but the upper half of his face. As Joseph examined the young man though, he noticed that he had a cape as well as a green and gold uniform like some sort of prince. The fact that he had a red stone surrounded by a crown of roses though, caused Joseph to shudder as to how the gem looked exactly like the Red Stone of Aja he had fought so hard to protect from Kars and failed.

"So, what's with the getup?" Joseph then asked Kakyoin, causing the young man to look down at his clothes.

"I'm.... not sure, really." Kakyoin then said as he put a hand on his head, "my mind's been... foggy lately, probably a side effect of my situation."

"Kakyoin, you died, remember?" Joseph then said with worry in his voice, "I'm not even sure how you're here, but Jotaro and I found your remains during our fight with DIO."

"I... I don't know how, but I remember...." Kakyoin said, "I do remember dying and... this will sound insane but I feel  _alive."_

"What?" Joseph said in surprise, "What do you mean alive?! I mean, yeah, I came back to life thanks to Jotaro, but how can you feel alive!?"

"I... think it has to do with the fact that here, Kakyoin is a faerie named Ethereas Ghostwing." Veronica then said as she moved to hold Kakyoin's hand, "Every night I've been here, I've been helping him deal with two identities in his mind- Ethereas the faerie prince, and Kakyoin the High School Student. So far, Kakyoin is dominant, but there are times I worry that Ethereas might try and struggle for dominance."

"Well, what was he like?" Joseph then asked, causing Kakyoin to hum in thought.

"Well, as Ethereas, I was... a conman and a prankster," he then said, "I've fought against an empire, tricked a king that was much too trusting into having doubt about people, made friends with demons and helped dragons found a kingdom of there own. I'd had many friends as Ethereas, while as Kakyoin... I was alone, until I met you, Jotaro and the others."

"Man, this is weirder than the guy with a woman's face on the back of his head..." Joseph said while Kakyoin looked at him in confusion, "What? You were there... or are you still struggling with your memories?"

"I am, sorry." Kakyoin then said with a sigh, "By the way, where is Jotaro? I've been trying to bring him here like I did you, but he hasn't arrived yet, according to Hierophant Green."

"No idea, he's been sleeping for a whole day after a hellhound came by with the Fanterran version of Polnareff, and I'm getting worried about him," Joseph said sadly while looking at the door in worry.  


~0~

Jotaro Kujo had no idea where he was. Last he could recall, he was with Pietro, Carmen, Irene, Alphonse, and his grandfather, Joseph on their way to their next destination when he saw something up ahead. He had used his stand to get a better look, before...

"That's right..." Jotaro then said to himself as he felt a pain in his right eye, "I saw that... thing."

"I can hear ya, ya dunderhead." a voice then said, causing him to look around and seeing a familiar looking, black and white Boston terrier.

"Iggy?" Jotaro then said, only to be smacked with the chain on his coat, "What the!?"

"No shit, it's me!" Iggy then barked, "I'm talking to ya ain't I!?"

"Good grief," Jotaro then said as he adjusted his hat, "I'm not even going to try and guess what's going on here."

"Good!" Iggy said as he laid on his belly, "By the way.... er... sorry about marking ya, didn't even think you'sd be dumb enough to look at my hellhound form!"

"How did you even become a hellhound, anyway?" Jotaro then said, "Did it happen after you died?"

"Probably," Iggy said then, "The last thing I remember was dying, next thing I know, I'm in this world with my missing leg back and--- WOAH INCOMING!"

Next thing Jotaro knew, there was a mad cackling in the air as he looked up and saw a woman in rainbow-colored armor came into the dark void. Instead of being on the back of a horse though, the blonde surfed into the area on the blade of a sword, a rainbow trailing after her as she flew around the void. She looped and spun through the darkness, before coming in for a landing in front of Jotaro, a smile on her face and her green eyes almost glowing with how bright they were.

"Hi there!" she said, the woman, looking about 27 giving the teen a wave of her hand, "You know, for an outsider, you were pretty tough to find!"

"Who are you?" Jotaro then said, readying his fists to fight back if he needed to.

"Names Rochelia, call me Rocky," said the blonde, "Goddess-Knight of Dreams, Guardian of the gate of Fanterra and the one pulling you out of the Hellvoid Iggy here accidentally put you in- bad hellhound."

As she summoned forth a spray bottle of water and spritzed Iggy with it, causing him to yelp and run away, Jotaro started to wonder if she was the one behind his current situation of being in another world.

["So,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6isTK_eqr0k) you coming or not?" she then said as she stretched a bit, "Because I need to get you to a meeting with that Ethereas guy ASAP, and I'd rather not punch you out like the last one."

"Good grief," Jotaro then said as he stepped onto the sword, which was the size of a large surfboard and looked like it'd been in quite a few battles with how notched the blade was, kind of like the teeth of a car key. Though, once he held onto Rochelia's waist, the sword then rose up into the void and moved, a rainbow trailing behind it as he looked around, and saw the void change into a field where stars grew like wildflowers before rising up into the sky, forming constellations he'd never even seen before- a unicorn fighting a dragon, a phoenix flying through a harp, a ladybug and so much more. Then, the sword dipped down into the field, cutting a trail as Rochelia held out her hand to touch the stars still growing around them, cutting them loose and sending them up to the sky with a touch.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Rochelia then said with a grin as she looked over her shoulder at Jotaro.

"I guess..." Jotaro said with a shrug, "Just what is this place, anyway?"

"Oh, this is where dreams are made," Rochelia said with a laugh, "The constellations overhead, are dreams that came true, symbolic dreams, or moments of history. When a dream goes bad though, they fall to the ground, regrow and try again later."

Jotaro said nothing, what could he say to something as insane sounding as that! Sure, he fought vampires and was even turned into a child one time, but this? This was unbelievable!

"What's the matter?" Rochelia then said as she surfed among the stars, "Having a hard time believing this?"

"Yes," Jotaro then said bluntly, causing Rochelia to sigh.

"Yeah, I figured you were the stubborn type," Rochelia then said, "Honestly, you need to relax and just accept some things as being real, Fanterra, Pietro, even that new scar you have are all real ok, Kiddo?"

"I'm not a little kid," Jotaro said in annoyance, before reaching up to his right eye and feeling the new scar he had thanks to Iggy, "How do you even know these things, anyway?"

"Eh, I can read minds," Rochelia said with a shrug, "it comes with the territory of being goddess-knight of dreams. I also can tell you're wondering about you and your grandpa's alternates."

"What can you tell me about them?" Jotaro then asked, while worried that his own alternate might either be already dead or not even born yet.

"Don't worry, the Fanterran you exists, though,  _she_ is a woman named Kyoko who lives in Usaginaba. Nice girl, to be honest." Rochelia said before her tone turned rather grim while her armor became more subdued in its colors, "As for your grandpa's? I'm sorry, but his alternate is in a complicated situation."

"Complicated, how?" Jotaro then asked, "Is it like Ethereas and Kakyoin?"

"Woah now, it isn't that complicated!" Rochelia said as she started surfing along a cloud of stardust, and collecting it inside a pouch on her hip, "Joseph's alternate is just... sealed away somewhere, in an eternal sleep. Poor Gram, I looked into his head once and all I can say is that no one deserves what he went through."

"What happened to him?" Jotaro then asked, only to see Rochelia's armor turn a sickly shade of green as she herself looked a little pale as she answered the teen.

"You really don't want to know." was all she said, and Jotaro knew that asking the woman would be a bad idea as they surfed through the stars, and reached the palace Jotaro had seen before in his previous dreams. With a quiet nod in thanks, Jotaro then ran inside, once more wearing the armored boots and white and blue coat from before, though now his hat had turned white as well. He continued to run back to the room he had found last time, where he saw the faerie prince Kakyoin dance with Veronica.

He had expected another ball to be taking place when he slid open the door. However, what he did not expect was to see his grandfather, Kakyoin, and Veronica playing a video game together.

 _"Yellow Wizard needs food badly!"_  said the arcade machine, it's robotic voice sounding off in the world Jotaro had found himself in.

"GODDAMMIT!" Joseph, still a young man to Jotaro then said, nearly breaking the machine with his mechanical hand, before he spotted Jotaro in the doorway, "Oh hey Jotaro! About time you got here."

Upon hearing the teen's name, Kakyoin and Veronica both stopped playing, with Kakyoin getting teary-eyed at the sight of his friend. Next thing Jotaro knew, he could smell roses as he found himself in Kakyoin's arms, the human turned faerie hugging his fellow stand user as if he hadn't seen him in ages.

"I'm glad you're alive." Kakyoin then said in Jotaro's ear, "Dio's stand... it could stop time when I... when I died I was worried that you'd never find out so I-"

"We got your message, don't worry." Jotaro then said with a smile, before letting go of his friend and looking towards Joseph and Veronica, "So, what's going on?"

"Well, there's something I wanted to ask you about, relating to your journey to fight against DIO," Veronica then said, surprising Joseph and Jotaro.

"Wait, how the hell did you know about Dio?" Joseph then asked, before looking to Kakyoin, "Did you tell her?"

"No! I was surprised as you are when she asked me the same question earlier!" Kakyoin then said, only for Jotaro to speak up.

"What is it, Veronica?" Jotaro then asked.

"During your adventure, did any of you ever get Deja Vu? Or feel like something was missing?" Veronica then asked as Kakyoin summoned a table for them to sit at.

"I sure as hell didn't," Jotaro then said, before looking towards his grandfather, "What about you, old man? Anything like that?"

"Now that you mention it," Joseph then said as he cupped his chin in thought, "I thought I did find some of the things we did familiar, but I didn't know why."

"Did you talk to anyone about it?" Jotaro then asked, only for Joseph to shake his head.

"No, I just didn't think it was important at the time," he then said, before looking to Veronica, "Why did you want to know?"

"More importantly, how did you know about Dio?" Jotaro asked with suspicion in his voice, causing Veronica to sigh and explain.

"I found out from a being called Aeon," Veronica said, her memories causing an image of the metallic, four-armed and three-faced angel, "She told me about your journey and how it ended up looping, again and again, thanks to a man who worked for Dio. She also showed me your journey, or at least versions of it, which always featured an extra stand user... one of them being a blonde version of me."

"Sounds insane," Kakyoin then said, "But, from what I recall with Ethereas' memories, I know that Aeon could see through time itself, and was thankfully an ally in Puck's Rebellion."

"Puck's Rebellion?" Veronica asked, only for Joseph to speak up.

"From what I can tell, some guy named Puck fought the Blue Fairy with some other people, and saved the world." said the brunette, before Jotaro nodded in agreement.

"Anything else you know about Aeon, Kakyoin?" Jotaro then asked, only for the redhead to nod.

"Yeah, from what I can tell, Aeon was one of a group called the Tarotica Majors," he said, conjuring up an image of 23 figures, among them Aeon being the only one with details filled in, "And as far as I know, the only one who defected from something called the Blue Faerie Empire."

"Pietro told us about that," Jotaro then said, before getting the conversation back on track, "But we can talk about that later. What I want to know is, what did Aeon talk to Veronica about."

"Well.. besides the time loops, she showed me what defeated her back when she was a vampire named Vins," Veronica said, before concentrating to show the boys what Aeon had shown her. While they were surprised to hear that Aeon had once been a vampire, what they saw of her human form, and her encounter with first Veronica's blonde doppelganger was enough to make Kakyoin speak up in surprise.

"So... in one timeline, Veronica was Japanese, in our grade, and... eventually my girlfriend?" Kakyoin then said, "I wonder if our encounter in this one means we were meant to be together?"

"Well, I'm only nineteen in this timeline," Veronica said, "And personally, I'm not sure if I believe in fate, but I do know I like you, Kakyoin."

As Kakyoin was about to say something, Jotaro decided to interrupt the moment.

"Did you see anything else with Aeon?" Jotaro then said as Veronica nodded and started showing the group the encounter with Hino Asakura. As the group watched the redhead pull an arrow out of his pocket, ham it up as he altered his very stand as well as sending the vampires out of the timeline, Jotaro could only say one thing.

"Good grief," Jotaro said, "To think, he might have had a stand the whole time."

"Wait, are you saying you know this guy, Jotaro?" Joseph then asked, causing the teen to nod.

"Yeah, in middle school," Jotaro said, "He was on the track team with me, and when he wasn't doing schoolwork or running, he was always writing in a notebook of some kind. Said my life would get strange before we entered high school though."

"Maybe he remembers the old timeline before this one? I mean, with all the deja vu the time loops caused originally, and with what we'd seen of the final loop with Hino becoming the Observer, it'd make sense that in this timeline, he'd recall the previous one," Veronica said, only for the group to stare at her in confusion, "I... read a lot of science fiction novels."

"Wait, really?" Joseph said with a confused frown on his face, "If that's true, then... er... ARGH! Jesus, Mary and Joseph this time shenanigan talk is giving me a headache!"

No one said a word to that, as once Joseph had said that, his body began to fade away, the brunette awakening from the dream.  


~0~

[The next morning,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdsYG51vKYI) Veronica sat in the cart with Ricky Lupo, Wamu once again in the driver's seat as they waited for their new comrades. The day before, Marik and Renee had decided to join them and Arachne on their journey to Ashford County, which was on the way to Appledale. Though Ricky wasn't fond of the idea at first, it was thanks to Arachne that he was convinced in letting the two come along for extra manpower against bandits.

At the moment though, Veronica was looking at her pocket watch, the worn enamel on it giving way to let the sunlight shine on the silver casing.

"It sounds slow," Ricky then said, getting Veronica's attention as he indicated his pointed ears, "And the enamel seems like it needs to be redone."

"I like how worn it is, it gives it character," Veronica said as she wound her watch, "Do you know what time it is right now?"

"About seven in the morning," Ricky said as he looked at the sky, "What time does your watch say?"

"Two in the afternoon," Veronica said as she opened up her watch and showed the wolf the time, "I still have it set to Egypt's timezone back on Earth."

"Not gonna ask," Ricky then said, before spotting something about the watch. A picture of Veronica and two other people, one a very young girl with black hair in two pigtails and green eyes and the biggest smile on her face while she wore a little blue dress. The other figure in the picture, however, was a young man with a beard made up of square patches of brownish-blond hair, long hair that went down to his waist and light eyes. The man also wore a wide-brimmed hat with rather gaudy looking glasses on the band. While the man seemed to be holding a small stuffed bear up to the little girl on his shoulders, he also seemed to be hugging Veronica as well while the silver-haired teen laughed about something in the picture. In fact, from what Ricky could tell, it was a picture of a family that loved each other.

"So, who's the kid and the guy?" Ricky then asked, causing Veronica to flinch before smiling as she spoke up.

"My little sister Rosie and our cousin, Gyro," Veronica then said, "My little sister may seem cute but she's also a devious little kid, in fact, she even managed to overtake her class bullies in preschool."

"How'd she do that?" Ricky then asked, only for Veronica to shrug.

"I don't know, but one day she just came home saying that the bully bothering her just gave up after she gave him a taste of his own medicine." Veronica said, "I think she picked up something from cousin Gyro, since he was visiting the states at the time, and he seemed to know something."

"He probably showed her a trick or two to handle bullies on her own," Ricky then said, "I know I did the same for my cousin Luna- taught her how to throw a punch in case someone bothered her."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he taught her his Spin technique," Veronica said with a laugh, "He may not be able to use Hamon, but that didn't stop Gyro from developing his own style anyway, he even taught me the basics of it as well, but I still don't have a good handle on it like he does."

"What's Gyze like?" Ricky then asked, already giving Gyro a nickname despite only guessing his last name.

"Julius Caesar "Gyro" Zeppeli is a horse jockey with a habit of making jokes to lighten the mood, does whatever he can to find a discount or to crack one of his jokes," Veronica said with a chuckle, "In fact, if he were here, he'd probably make a comment about a gaggle masquerade."

"A gaggle masquerade?" Ricky asked with confusion clear in his voice.

"Because a gaggle of geese would be in disguise," Veronica said, "Since G-Y-Z-E could be said as Geese or Guise, right?"

All Ricky did in response, was growl in pain, "Dear Gods, he's a pun-master, ain't he?"

"Yeah, but I enjoy a good pun," Veronica said, before she let out a sigh, "I miss my family... I hope they're doing alright while I'm away. I mean, all they know is that I'm in Egypt. If word ever gets back to them that I vanished off the face of the earth... who knows what they might do."

Ricky was silent for a moment before he put a hand on Veronica's shoulder and spoke up.

"Listen, Veze," he said, "I want to make a promise to you here and now. I swear on my soul, my brother's grave, and my father's honor as a Lupo that once this is over, I'll find a way to get you and Kakyoin back to your world."

"But... what if he doesn't want to leave Fanterra?" Veronica then asked, "What then?"

"Then he ain't worth it, if he puts his happiness over your own," Ricky then said, "If he really loves you, then he'll let you go home, and if he was spending time in your world like you said, then it's most likely his home too, right?"

"Yeah," Veronica said with a nod as she saw where this was going, before hugging the wolf in thanks.

The moment was then ruined as someone called out to the trio.

"Hey, Veronica, Ricky, Wamu!" said Renee Zavriel as she walked into view, holding a large bag in her monstrous right arm. As the group watched, they also noticed Arachne walking behind her with a parasol in hand while a heavy-looking backpack rested on her shoulders.

"Renee, Arachne, where's your brother, Marik?" Veronica asked the two sisters while Arachne put her things in the cart before sitting next to Wamu up front.

"Marik is taking care of some unexpected business," Arachne then said, "He'll be with us when he is done. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"It is no trouble," Wamu then said as he broke his silence, "Marik will arrive when he gets here, I am sure Master Richard can wait for him."  


[~0~](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQUeXu7anNU)

On the road between the Zavriel's Faerie Colony and the town of Unicorn's Blade, Marik Zavriel was surrounded by unconscious and dead bandits alike. His hands and boots were ablaze with dark magic and as he caught his breath, he growled at the bandit leader standing before him. The leader had long, flowing dark hair and reddish brown eyes as well as a warrior's muscular build. What was more, the bandit leader was surrounded by three dogs- one with eyes as big as teacups, the second a large dog with eyes as big as saucers and the final beast a hound with eyes the size of dinner plates.

"An ex-soldier, are you?" Marik then guessed, causing the man to flinch, before a cruel smirk came upon his lips.

"Indeed, you are a smart one, aren't you?" said the bandit leader as he put away a tinderbox into his pocket and gave Marik a polite bow, "Call me Carson, the Hound King of Bandits."

"I don't care." Marik then said as he crossed his arms, "You must be either brave or an idiot if you know who I am, and still wish to face me."

"Marik Zavriel, the Manticore trained by the mysterious head of the Curse Slingers Association, correct?" Carson said, causing Marik to nod, "I think I'll take you on myself. I was planning on raiding your home and taking the women and children as slaves, but I think you'd make a better prize, no?"

"Big mistake." Marik said as his eyes turned from gold to blue, before he prepared to fight, "No weapons sound fair to you?"

"Hmm, been a while since I've battled hand to hand, this should be fun!" Carson said with a grin as he stepped away from his trio of hounds and charged in to punch Marik in the face.

Instead, Marik blocked the punch with his tail, before the manticore faerie spun and kicked Carson in the side. Carson however, rolled and got back up, before trying to kick Marik below the belt, only for Marik to use his own leg to block the attack, while his hands kept Carson's fists from connecting.

"An Usaginaban fighting style?" Carson then asked with a smile, before pulling away as Marik tried to headbutt him, "And mixed with some other martial art as well. I assume the Fae's Dances of Death? Then again, I could never have suspected you'd have the grace to pull that off!"

"Shut up and fight," Marik said before moving with the speed of a cat to deliver a barrage of punches to Carson, only for the bandit to block some of the hits while taking a few in return. Marik was also struck by the bandit's fists but refused to fall to the ground as he slapped Carson away with his wing.

"Sneaky boy!" Carson said with a grin as he got back up, only to be struck in the shoulder by a barb. Within moments, his body froze into place as Marik loomed closer a wicked grin on his face as he spoke.

"Carson, was it?" Marik then said, while looking the paralyzed man in the eye, "Let me tell you where you messed up- you threatened my family. No one threatens my family and lives to tell about it. See, normally, I'd turn you into a frog, or erase your memory or even seal you away in a special hell of my own making. But no. You admitted to wanting to take my sisters into slavery. And you know what?"

Marik then cupped Carson's face with a clawed, furry hand, before he finished his speech, "I don't take kindly to that sort of behavior, so I'm just going to kill you here and now."

Marik then moved his hand away, his fist surrounded by dark magic as he moved to punch Carson in the chest. However, Marik then stopped just before the bandit's heart, before he did a series of complex movements with his fingers. Then, he struck the man in the chest and the last thing Carson would feel before he fell to the ground was his heart exploding inside his own chest.

With all the bandits down or deceased, Marik calmed down as his blue eyes turned back to gold before he started searching Carson's body for the tinderbox.

"That should come in handy," a voice then said once he had found it, causing Marik to smile as he stood and turned to face a woman with black hair pulled into a bun and a small hat with a veil attached that covered her sky blue eyes. She also wore a gray jacket over a white shirt, as well as gray leggings under black, thigh-high boots.

"Aunt Malefica, you got my message?" Marik asked calmly as the woman nodded before she spread her tattered, black butterfly-like wings.

"I did," she then said, "and I must admit I really was surprised you're traveling."

"Bowie's been released from his prison, as have Karas." Marik said, causing Malefica to turn pale with horror as she gripped a star-shaped pendant around her neck, "I know you carry the Star Tarotica, but Karas doesn't know that... I... I need you to watch the others and help keep the colony safe."

"I'm happy to help, but Samantha-"

"I know your daughter is afraid of Karas," Marik said, "But I don't think he's stupid enough to attack our home to get to her... to you."

"So, this is why you asked me to come here," Malefica then said with a sigh, "I must admit, protecting my daughter from the other Tarotica Majors will be difficult, but I'm sure she'll enjoy being around her cousins, Marik."

"No." Marik said as he stuffed the tinderbox into his bag, "As long as she's in her seal, Karas shouldn't be able to find her, not to mention he won't get near Aeon due to how much he can't stand her. As long as Cousin Samantha is near Aeon, she'll be safe."

"I see," Malefica said with a grim nod, "Well, any other news I should be aware of?"

"Gouldara's seal is currently in the possession of Cinderella's son," Marik said, causing Malefica's blue eyes to widen.

"The Hermit? He... he hasn't been unleashed, has he?"

"No, not yet," Marik said as he stood up straight, "but it may be a matter of time, I'll be sure to keep an eye on Wandorian Muselli while I travel with him, the Big Bad Wolf and the otherworlder, Veronica Zeppeli."

"An otherworlder?" Malefica then said in disbelief, "Next you'll tell me that Salvador's brother is alive and well!"

"He's alive, but asleep according to Aeon," Marik then said plainly, causing his aunt to pale even further.

"I see..." Malefica then said, "I hope when he's awake, he'll forgive me for what his brother asked me to do."

"I hope so too," Marik then said as he grabbed his backpack and slipped it on his shoulders, "Anything else, Aunt Malefica?"

"Yes," the evil looking faerie then said, "I want you to investigate something in Ashford County for me."

"Oh?" Marik asked before he turned to look his aunt in the eye, "Does it relate to Cinderella?"

"It does," Malefica said, "You see, it seems that people have reported sightings of Cinderella's ghost. Considering Arachne's connection to her, she will most likely be investigating on her own. Though, with a haunted mill, and a slew of other problems, it seems that Count Ashford isn't doing anything to try and fix things, instead focusing on finding another bride... his fifth bride."

"You think it might be a Blue Beard?" Marik then asked, while his aunt nodded in confirmation.

"Yes," she then said, "I'm not in a forgiving mood towards the count after what happened to Arachne, and I want him to suffer. I want you to make sure he never finds a new bride, and more importantly, find out what happened to the others."

"And his punishment if I do find anything?" Marik asked with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

"Now Marik, that, I'll leave in your capable hands," Malefica said with a smile before she turned to head to the Zavriel abode. Marik on the other hand simply went in the opposite direction, his mission in mind as he looked forward to causing a little mayhem in Ashford County... or at least, raising hell for a potential Blue Beard.  


[~0~](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdsYG51vKYI)

The past three days were tiring for Joseph Joestar- sleep and have meetings with Jotaro, Kakyoin, and Veronica in the dream world, and spending his time awake watching over his sleeping grandson and the doppelganger of Polnareff. Though, he had to admit to using Hermit Purple to read the man's mind in order to learn that the double was named Pierre Polheffer. However, when he tried to get beyond the man's name, something seemed to cut him off and kick Joseph out of Pierre's head.

"Argh! What the hell is going on?" he said irritably as he got ejected once again, withdrawing his stand while he sat in the back of the wagon, while Irene and Carmen drove it along the road.

"Um... P-Perhaps he has a protection spell on his mind?" said Pietro then, startling Joseph while Alphonse looked up at the sudden noise.

"Oh my God, Pietro, don't scare me like that!" Joseph then said as he put a hand over his heart, "I may have a young body, but that doesn't mean I still can't get a heart attack."

"Oh, sorry." Pietro then said before a look of uncertainty crossed his face, "Joseph, do you mind if I ask a question?"

"What is it?" Joseph asked, only for the antlered young man to speak up.

"Why do you think Jotaro doesn't trust me?"

Joseph was silent, before he made his answer clear, "Maybe it was that fight with Monde, I mean, I was there and I still can't believe how strong you really are! Though, I guess that explains how you carry that big pack of yours so easily- just what do you keep in there?"

"Tent, bedroll, a dagger, dried rations, canteen of water and a full suit of steel armor," Pietro said, "My aunt Cassandra insisted I bring along protection, though I will admit I prefer running without it on, it's much too noisy for stealth which I prefer in certain situations."

"Like running for your life and hiding from elves?" Joseph asked, and getting a nod from Pietro in return while Alphonse the Alphyn placed his head on Joseph's knee. As the brunette scratched behind the draconic wolf's pointed ears, another thought crossed his mind- "How do you plan on getting my grandson's trust, anyway?"

"Well, I figured spending time with him would help," Pietro said, "I came up with a plan to go back to the tower I was imprisoned in, and gather the broken antlers left there in order to fight the Tarotica."

"Fight the Tarotica? You think there might be more of those things like Monde?" Joseph then said before Pietro gave a grim nod.

"Yes I do," the stag then said, "I don't know how many more, but if Monde was the weakest, then perhaps there are stronger Tarotica out there, and if we don't trust each other, those Tarotica may play mind games with us."

"That does make sense," Joseph said, "But where does Jotaro fit in?"

"Well... since I'm not actually a fighter, I could use a bodyguard." Pietro said, "Safety in numbers, and... well, I'm sure that if I can prove to him that I am trustworthy, then perhaps he can stop suspecting I'm some sort of stand user! I didn't even know what they were until I met you, and I am pretty sure I would have known if I had a familiar of some kind."

"Well, not all stands are like mine and Jotaro's," Joseph said, "I've seen some bound to objects, I've been infected with a stand once or twice, and even got turned into a living magnet by one!"

"I... I see..." Pietro said in disbelief, "Erm, a-anyway, do you think my plan might work? I do plan on splitting some of my antlers between our group and Ricky Lupo's group, that way both groups can have protection against the Tarotica if they are scattered about."

"Sounds good to me," Joseph said, "Though, how do you plan on getting the antlers there? Running them to Team Lupo?"

"Yes, actually." Pietro said, "I'm not sure if my ability to travel through mirrors will be affected by my antler's anti-magical properties, so it's better to be safe than sorry by running the antlers over to 'Team Lupo' as you put it, than to risk me losing a hand by attempting to try something I know very little about."

"I see," Joseph said before he looked to his grandson and sighed, "I just hope he wakes up soon, it's been three days ya know?"

"I hope he awakens soon as well," Pietro said, putting a hand on Joseph's shoulder.

Then, the two men heard a groan as someone began to awaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title comes from the NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams end credits theme song.
> 
> Also, as for the last chapter, the title came from the song Ponponpon by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. 
> 
> Anyway, it seems that not only Iggy is alive, but he's now a hellhound. With one Crusader still missing, is it possible he's alive as well? Somehow?
> 
> Also, a scene that wasn't supposed to happen was Marik's fight against Carson- originally, Carson would have attacked the group after Marik, Renee and Arachne showed up and they got on the road. Another scene that was meant to happen but didn't was Timothy not wanting his brother to go, but I wasn't sure how to write it out. 
> 
> So instead, we get Marik becoming a secret agent... also, I may have been watching kungfu movies while writing that scene.
> 
> Also, the bit with Rochelia wasn't meant to happen either, and Jotaro and Joseph were supposed to enter at the same time, but as I wrote, I figured it'd be more fun to have them arrive at the Palace of Dreams separately. 
> 
> Next time on Jojo's Bizarre Fairy Tale: Awaken Young Heroes!


	30. Chapter 30

_"Master, wake up."_

Pierre listened to the voice, but try as he might, he could not open his eyes. His body felt like lead as he tried to move, only to hit something that felt like an arm. Was he with other people? He wasn't sure.

_"Master, wake up!"_

A groan was mustered out then, followed by voices he didn't recognize. 

_"Hey, did you hear something, Pietro?"_

_"Well, it sounded like a groan, Joseph."_

_"I can hear that!"_ said "Joseph" before a pause as Pierre struggled to open his eyes, though he could feel a hand frisk him a bit before grabbing something,  _"Wow, now this is a nice sword! Do you recognize it, Pietro?"_

_"That...That's the Unicorn's Blade!"_  said Pietro in shock, followed by Joseph drawing the blade in question.

_"MASTER, GET YOUR ASS UP ALREADY!"_

Pierre finally opened his eyes then, just in time to see a brown-haired man holding his sword in hand.

"Let my blade go," Pierre then said as he got up, only to be assaulted by the tongue of an alphyn, "W-what!?"

"Alphonse, heel!" said a man with hair the color of a terracotta flowerpot and small antlers on his head. As the ALphyn obeyed though, Pierre found himself feeling confused as he recalled the stories about Alphyn- how they were a heraldic beast that usually only let nobles touch them. However as far as Pierre was concerned, the only claim to nobility he had was his mother's side, and even then Golemian nobility was not... well liked by the Alphyn due to mechanics being in high regard in the wintery kingdom. 

In short, it was strange for an Alphyn to actually like Pierre when he was bitten by them before.

As the alphyn then heeled, its master- most likely a noble incognito, judging by the attire, then spoke again.

"Sorry about that, he likes people with a noble spirit," he then said, before he introduced himself. "I'm Pietro Aifread, acting Duke of Deerbank and former magic mirror. My friend here is Joseph Joestar, the man who freed me."

"Deerbank? But that cursed place has been unruled for two hundred years!" Pierre said in disbelief, while Pietro sighed.

"I know, I was in a mirror for the past two hundred years- and Deerbank was only cursed for one hundred and eighty-five of those years I was trapped," Pietro then said, "I mean, it's still cursed, but I plan on breaking it.... somehow."

"I see... I think." Pierre then said before he looked around the room, or rather wagon as he saw a blonde woman driving through the entrance to the wagon before he saw another man lying next to him. "Who is he?"

"That's Jotaro Kujo," Pietro said, "He's... well, Joseph's grandson."

"Joseph seems like a very young grandfather," Pierre said in disbelief, only for the brunette to laugh and slap Pierre's leg with his hand, only for a clang to ring out.

"Trust me, I'm really 65 years old," he said, before removing a glove and revealing a mechanical hand that didn't even tick or tock as it moved, "Geeze, I think your legs dented my hand..."

"Sorry, mother built them to be sturdy on the job," Pierre then said as he moved his legs and gave a sigh of relief that they were fine, "How long was I asleep?"

"Three days," Pietro then said, causing Pierre to flinch before he became filled with worry. What was going on back in his hometown? His family must be worried sick about him! Not to mention that if Netanel escaped justice, then Renee might be in trouble as well!

As his thoughts went to the woman he loved, however, he looked to Pietro and spoke up.

"Excuse me, Your Grace," Pierre then said, "my name is Pierre Polheffer, and I would like to ask if you know of a way for me to contact someone."

"Of course," Pietro then said as he summoned a mirror to his hand, astounding the knight as it floated in the air above the stag's palm, "I assume you wish to speak to Renee?"

"How do you know about my wife?" Pierre said in surprise only for Joseph to speak up.

_"Wife!?_  She told us she was engaged to a Pierre Polheffer, not married! Joseph exclaimed, only for Pierre to explain.

"Under fae-law, Renee and I are married, and well... I do love her," he said with a small smile before his face grew concerned, "However, before I passed out, I was sent through a portal by her ex-husband, a vile wizard named Netanel. I want to make sure that she is safe."

"I understand," Pietro said, while Joseph was busy looking after Jotaro's body, "I'll get you in contact with her. 

"Thank you," Pierre said, and watched the mirror show an image of Renee looking down at something- most likely her chain, as Pierre assumed by the image being a tad distorted with dark lines here and there.

"Renee?" he said, causing the image to flinch and smile as she looked closer.

_"Pierre? Is that really you?"_  Renee then asked in surprise, only for Pierre to show his bracelet to her.

"It is, Renee," said Pierre with a small smile, "How are you? Are you alright? Netanel didn't-" 

_"I'm fine, don't worry,"_  Renee said, causing Pierre some relief,  _"Netanel is dead... not by my hand, but a random goblin that showed up."_

"I see," said Pierre, before looking towards Jotaro, "Renee, I have part of your chain with me, is there anything I can do with it?"

_"Well, you can call souls back to comatose bodies,"_ Renee said,  _"It's useful in case people accidentally see a hellhound when they're not supposed to, according to Daddy."_

"Did Van Halen ever tell you how to do this?" Pierre asked, "We have a man in a coma here on my end, and his grandfather is worried about him.

_"Oh, that's easy!"_  Renee said with a smile,  _"You just tap the body with the chain, and that should wake them up."_

"Thank you, Renee," Pierre then said, "I'll talk to you another time, ok?"

_"Ok Pierre, I'll be seeing you soon!"_ Renee said with a smile,  _"I love you."_

"And I, you, Renee," Pierre said with a smile of his own before signaling to Pietro to end the call there. Then, he took the chain he held and followed Renee's instructions, tapping it against Jotaro's hand and waiting.

It didn't take long for the teen to wake up, and as he sat up with a groan, he looked around in slight confusion- or so Pierre thought when he noticed how unreadable the young man was to him.

"Polnareff?" the teen then asked, only to be corrected by his young looking grandfather.

"It may look like him, but it's not our friend, Jotaro," said Joseph with a shake of his head.

"That is correct," Pierre then said, "Monsieur, I am Sir Pierre Vojtech Polheffer of Clawthorn, specifically the town of Unicorn's Blade. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Right," Jotaro said, causing Pierre to be annoyed, especially once he noticed the pin on the teen's coat.

"As a fellow knight, you should be more formal," Pierre then said, "Did they teach you nothing in Miravel's Academy in White Mountain?"

"Actually... we're not Knights," Joseph then said, "See, it's kind of our fault- okay,  _my_ fault that the magic mirror was broken, Pietro was released and uh... Prince Jonathan was kidnapped. As a result, we were deputized by the king to find his son."

"I see, so you are Knights Errant," Pierre said in understanding, "It is sad to hear that the prince is missing, he and Princess Sandra were close friends before he became engaged to Irene."

That was when the cart stopped, the driver turning to face the men in the back.

"Princess Sandra and Jonathan may have been friends, but she was kind of a spoiled brat when I met her," Irene said, "I've heard that even Sir Fang worries that she'll end up like Princess Sara of Draconia."

"Who's Fang and Princess Sara?" Joseph asked, causing Pierre to look at him in surprise.

"Everyone knows the legend of Princess Sara, how she fell in love with a married man and tried to force him into marrying her," Pierre said, "As for Fang, he's my best friend, I even graduated salutatorian next to him at the Knight Academy."

"Well, we're not exactly from around here," Joseph explained before he let Pierre know about what was going on. How he and Jotaro came from a different world, and about the monsters that they'd faced so far. To Pierre, it was all so overwhelming. Other worlds besides Fanterra? That should be impossible, shouldn't it? And what of the monsters they faced so far, Monde and Karas? How could such monsters exist without anyone knowing about them? Could the fae know, and have chosen to keep their existence a secret, and if so... why?

As he looked at the former magic mirror, he found himself doubting the skinny stag's strength. Though, the possibility of him being able to reflect magic to the point of harming creatures made up of it was definitely there with what he knew of residual magic. After all, he had heard rumors that those turned into objects would still have some traits of those objects- such as a man turned into a candelabrum being able to manipulate flames.

"Pardon me," Pietro then said, drawing Pierre out of his thoughts, "But I have an idea on how to combat the monsters such as Karas and Monde."

"Well, spit it out," Jotaro then said rudely, earning a glare from lady Irene and the other woman, Carmen Wood.

"W-Well, I believe that since I can harm those monsters, I may not always be here to help," Pietro said, "However, my antlers are still in the tower I was trapped in for two centuries, so if we gather them, I could spread the prongs between everyone here, as well as run some along to Veronica and her group."

"Why not just get the antlers yourself, and then warp back to us through the mirror, and do the same for Veronica's group?" Jotaro then asked, only for Pietro to sigh and explain his side of things.

"Because, while I can leave a mirror here, I don't know where they are just yet, and I'd rather not try and squeeze myself through Renee's chain, just to deliver my antlers to them," he said, causing Jotaro to cross his arms and glare for a moment.

"And how do we know you won't run off on your own once the job is done?" Jotaro then said, causing Pietro to give a glare of his own, the same look he gave Monde as the stag spoke again.

"I know you don't trust me, Jotaro," said Pietro coldly, "and honestly, I'm tired of it. If you think I'd betray you, wouldn't I have done so by now!? I'm not a servant of that man you fought, DIO, I don't even know who he is besides what you've told me about him! So please, let me earn your trust with this mission, and you can come with me, if you'd like, in fact, I prefer that you do so, just so you can witness for yourself what sort of man I am!"

Jotaro was silent, unsure of what to even say to that. Sure, he didn't trust Pietro, thinking he was the most likely person to be a stand user, but what if what Rochelia said about this place being real was right after all? After all that he had been through, to have this insanity happen made him doubtful of everything. He still expected for someone to backstab him in the name of DIO even now. Though, as he looked around the cart and saw the confused face of Pierre, the concerned look of Irene and his grandfather's surprisingly stern face, all he could do was sigh and put his emotional walls back up as he answered the waiting stag.

"Fine, I'll go with you," he said, "But just know that I've got my eye on you, ok Pietro?"

"Thank you," Pietro said with a smile, before heading out of the cart, "Now, let's get going! The sooner we leave, the better, correct?"

"Yeah," Jotaro said as he followed after Pietro, only for the stag to pick the teen up in his arms and smile.

"It will be faster if I carry you," he then said and only earned a shrug from the passenger in his arms, before creating a mirror for his companions to have on hand for a quick return. Soon as that was done, the two were off in a flash, the stag running as fast as he could to the tower in Gem Hill.


End file.
